Weather-Proof Your Training: How to Adapt to Outdoor Conditions

Running outside can be difficult especially in cold and wet environments. It is important to change the way you workout in order to avoid injury when these conditions occur. If it is just a single day that has bad weather it would be best to consider switching to a workout that can be done inside, but if the weather is going to stay for an extended period of time, you will have to embrace the weather and train in it. The most important thing to consider when training in the cold or rain is making sure that your gear will keep you warm and dry and that your shoes have good tread so that you don’t slip during your run. Once your gear is checked and all good it’s time to think about the type of run you are doing. If you are going for a faster speed day, it is going to be very important to warm up well and make sure that your body is warm the entire time you are running. The reason for that is because if your muscles are cold and you try to run a fast rep, there is a much higher chance of pulling or tearing a muscle than if you keep your muscles warm. On the flip side, if you are doing a longer, slower run, then you still need to make sure your legs are warm but you don’t need to pay as much attention to them compared to doing fast reps. When you start your run, you need to make sure that you warm up properly and maybe longer than you normally do just to get your muscles and body in the ideal condition to run and not hurt anything. As with all workouts, it is also super important to listen to your body and if something doesn’t feel right, you should stop running before injuring yourself. Lots of people push through minor discomfort thinking that it is just a sore or tired muscle only to find out quickly that it was actually the beginning of a pulled or torn muscle. When working out in the cold it is really important to stay warm and listen to your body.