It’s no secret, I’m a lover of the sunny months. I have learned to find joy in the snowy winter weather though. Snowboarding and snowshoeing are ranked in my top favorite activities. Now if we could just get a little more snow this year, I’d be a happy girl. Being active in the cold can be tricky, so I’m sharing a few tips to hopefully help you get outside and enjoy the winter weather too.

Avoid overdressing

You should be a little cold for the first few minutes of exercising outside. Dressing too warm can result in becoming overly sweaty and then causing a chill when you decide to remove layers.

Dress in layers

Layers are important for helping regulate your body temperature when it’s cold outside. When you go from being stationary to moving on the trail, or on the track, you’re likely going to feel uncomfortable depending on what you’ve decided to wear.

If it’s freezing out, I typically wear a pair of thermals that is a moisture wicking material to help keep my core warm and dry. On top of that, I’ll wear my pants and a sweat shirt, even a coat. My point with all of this is, if I get too hot, I can peel off layers. If I get too cold, I can put them back on. The goal is to aim not to be sweaty. Sweat=Cold

Protect your head

Almost 40% of your body heat is lost through your head. Wearing a hat helps hold your heat in, thus keeping you warm.

Protect your hands and feet

Almost 30% of your body heat escapes through your hands and feet! Do you see what I’m getting at here? Even an inexpensive pair of gloves can help keep you cozy. I hate having cold hands.

Stay hydrated

You may not be sweating, but you are breathing out moisture. The cold air seems to chap my lips in the first few minutes. Make sure to drink water before, during, and after exercise.

Do not stay in wet clothes

If you happen to get rained on, or just sweat like me, strip down as soon as you can and get dry clothing on. In September, I hiked the Timberline Trail and on the last day, it rained all the way back to my car. I am so thankful that I kept a pair of clean and dry clothes to change into because I was freezing. Not only does it help your body, but it helped my mind knowing I was drying off and getting warm. Hypothermia is definitely not your friend.

Remember sunscreen

It may not look sunny out, but the sun is there. Snow is like a mirror for it, I learned my lesson on that last year. I had to rock an awful goggle sunburn for way too long. We all want to keep our youthful beauty, so protect that skin.

Take it easy when its frigid

The colder it is, the colder your muscles are. Be sure to warm up, to help reduce the risk of pulling a muscle.

Run into the wind

I know this sounds awful, but trust me. It’s better to run back with the wind. Running out against the wind will wear you out, but imagine running back when you’re already worn out and fighting the wind. Also, running back with the wind helps to reduce any chill you might feel running into it, there’s something about the wind blowing on your face that just seems to cool ya right down.

Pay attention to temperature and wind chill

If the temperature is below 0°F or the wind chill is below -20°F, it’s okay to hit the treadmill instead. Exercise is already stressing your body, placing it in extreme temperatures is a little much. Not saying it’s impossible to do, but it’s good to keep balance with stress. What are you benefiting from by being out in that extreme temperature?

Now what?

Get out there and start moving. Don’t want to go it alone? Find a local group who’s into getting outside. Start with your local Hiker Babes Chapter. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Fresh air is just what the doctor ordered for helping keep the winter blues away!