Winter is in full effect, requiring runners to do a little planning before they hit the road to ensure they don't end up in a cold sweat. Don't worry ladies—this is an excellent excuse to go shopping for cute, outdoors work out gear! So go ahead, show off your cute lululemon fashion and burn some calories.
Here are four important rules to remember when running outdoors this winter.
More: Tips for Running Outside During Winter
1. Love Your Layers
The key to a successful run is layers, which help keep your body temperature at a safe level.
Wearing several thin layers of clothing helps trap warm air between each layer keeping you considerably warmer than if you were to wear one heavy layer. This includes socks; wearing two pairs keeps your feet warmer and drier than one heavy pair.
2. Pick the Right Fabrics
We are lucky to live in a technologically advanced time where there are new, modern types of fabric available for running in the cold. Materials such as polypropylene, capilene and some wool/synthetic blends wick moisture away from your body, and keep you warm and dry.
Ask a salesperson, or research online, to pick the best winter gear. Remember to avoid wearing cotton because it will leave you wet, cold and uncomfortable.
More: 8 Warm Pants Perfect for Winter Running
3. Wear a Shell
It's critical that you wear some sort of waterproof windbreaker or shell to protect you from the wind and precipitation. Gore-Tex or Nylon are great options to achieve this "safety shell" that blocks cold bursts of wind. Remember, you can always shed this layer once you warm up.
4. Don't Be Exposed
On the most frigid day, cover any exposed skin. A hat and gloves are absolutely necessary once the temperature flirts with freezing. Your body will lose the majority of its heat through any exposed skin, so cover up as much as possible. If it's really cold, you can cover exposed areas such as your face with petroleum jelly.
More: How to Beat the Cold and Flu: A Quiz
Find your winter gear on GearUp and stay warm at your next race.
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