Maximize Your Winter Workout

Although temperatures are cooling down, there are still many benefits to exercising outdoors. Fresh air boosts your mood and often helps you get more out of your workout without even realizing it. But to exercise outdoors in the winter successfully, you must properly prepare. Here are a few tips on how to keep safe and maximize your workout.

Layer up

Always dress in layers so you can remove clothes when you start to sweat and then put them back on when needed. A rule of thumb: Dress as if the temperature were 20 degrees warmer. You should be slightly cool at the beginning of your workout. Cold wind on sweaty skin quickly decreases skin temperature, so invest in windproof clothing or exercise in places with natural barriers to protect yourself from wind.

Cover up

Skin can get irritated or frostbitten by the cold, and you might not even realize it’s happening. Cover up as much skin as possible and know the early signs of frostbite — numbness, loss of feeling or a stinging sensation. Layer rubber gloves under your regular gloves — you’ll be surprised how much warmer your hands will be! Keep your feet warm with comfortable socks that wick away sweat so that moisture can evaporate.

Stay visible

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