5 Tips for Staying Warm While Exercising in Winter

If you are a mountain biker, what do you do when the trails are muddy? You wear extra layers and make sure to have eye protection. If you are a golfer and it’s hot out, how do you stay on the course? You wear a hat and apply extra sunscreen. If you are a skier and it’s blowing snow, how do you keep on the ski hill? You wear goggles and warm gloves. When you are dedicated to an outdoor pursuit, you find a way to keep doing it, no matter what conditions you are faced, because you love it! This winter don’t let the cold weather stop you from running, walking, or hiking outside. Instead, follow these tips for finding the joy of exercising outside all year round.

1. Wear Warm Socks
There’s nothing more demotivating than the thought of cold feet. It’s hard to get out the door during the winter months if you know your feet will be cold on your run. Feetures Merino 10 socks are the perfect balance of warmth to weight ratio, insulating your feet with wool fibers that still allow moisture evaporation and provide next to skin comfort without being too bulky or thick. Even when wet, merino wool socks retain their warmth, which means you won’t have to stop your run short if you happen to go through a puddle and soak your feet.

2. Layer Up
As tempting as it is to leave the house with your beloved puffy coat on, wearing multiple layers is the key to temperature regulation in winter. Lightweight, breathable, and versatile clothing is important for staying out longer. Sometimes it’s better to start slightly cold, knowing that you will generate heat as you put forth energy. Take a running pack with an extra jacket in case. Keeping it lightweight and using materials that provide warmth and don’t weigh you down, will make your mid-winter run feel light and fun.

3. Use Traction
If it’s snowy or icy out, you can keep training outdoors for your springtime 5k. How? Wear a traction device that fits over your running shoes. Ice cleats, micro spikes, and snow treads have come a long way in the last few years, giving you sure footing even when there is black ice on the sidewalk.

4. Wear Wool (But Not Just Any Wool)
Gone are the days of your grandma’s itchy wool sweater. These days, wearing wool has never been more comfortable. Utilizing a mix of fibers in combination with wool gives you the warming benefit of natural merino, without the discomfort of pure wool. Imagine wearing a 100% wool sweater on a run, you wouldn’t get very far before you’d want to rip it off. When you combine wool with Tencel fibers like the Merino 10 Cushion Mini Crew, the result is a comfortable, next to skin sock that keeps you warm and feels soft on your feet.

5. Loosen Up
This winter, consider loosening up, literally and figuratively. Wearing gear that isn’t too tight and has some stretch, allows proper blood flow, and keeps circulation moving, generating heat, and working with instead of against your body. Having a loose and lighthearted attitude during the colder months can be just as important too! Remember, it’s just weather, if you have the right gear, you can keep doing what you love all year round.

Written by David Gladish.

David Gladish is a freelance writer, website copywriter, and expert storyteller. He helps businesses and brands tell powerful and impactful stories by intimately knowing their products, leveraging marketing messages, and creatively sharing unique content. Connect with him at davidbgladish.com