Burn Fat Running Outside During The Winter

As the weather gets colder it might seem like the perfect excuse to stay inside but running outside in the cold is a great way to speed up your weight loss goals as well as improve your fitness and general health. Here are some of our top tips to prepare you for the great outdoors during the winter.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

You might think it’s cold so you’ll need to wrap up warm, but you also don’t want to overdo it or you’ll be lugging around all those excess layers. Invest in some base layers such as compression wear to keep your body warm and opt for a waterproof jacket that’s light but insulated to keep you warm and your arms and legs able to move freely and not limit your range of motion. Wear gloves and a hat to reduce heat loss and a scarf or snood if neck is exposed.

WARM UP PROPERLY

Doing exercise in the cold without warming up properly is one of the most common ways to cause injury to the muscles as they are more prone to tightening up. Make time to stretch properly for around 10 minutes before exercising to ensure that all of your muscles are fully warmed up and ready to go. Your body temperature and blood flow to your muscles will also be improved.

FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING

In cold weather the air is thinner so your lungs are taking in less oxygen with every breath, making your breathing even more important when exercising outside. A good tactic that a lot of professional runners use and recommend is inhaling and exhaling every few strides to help regulate your breathing and create a good rhythm.

RUN WITH FRIENDS OR IN A GROUP

It can be very hard for a lot of people to find the motivation to go for a run so running with a friend or in a group can be a lot more motivational and enjoyable. If you don’t have any friends that are able to go running with you then have a look online as most areas will usually have a local running group that you can join and go running a few times a week with like-minding people in your area.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE

The cold weather can cause a lot of chaos with the terrain such as wet leaves, fallen trees or ice that can cause injury if not avoided. Choose a route that’s simple to follow and relatively known to be clear of any obstacles that can prevent you from following a set route. There are great running apps you can download for your phone that can help with this and make sure you enjoy your run problem-free!