How to dress properly? Is it possible to run in severe frost? The editorial staff of Wday.ru asked these and other questions to the expert.
International Master of Sports in Athletics, Trainer
Any time of the year is right to start running.
Moreover, winter running at temperatures above -15 and without strong winds has a positive effect on human health. This also applies to muscles, and internal organs, and immunity in general. Such running hardens the body, improves the functioning of the lungs and heart.
It is important for beginners to follow a few simple rules. The main thing of which is to monitor your own feelings. If you begin to understand that you are gradually getting cold, your sweat is cooling down, and you cannot pick up the pace, then it is better to run home. A slight feeling of coolness can only be felt at the beginning of the race. After 5-10 minutes of running, you should be warm. Otherwise, it will indicate that you are dressed too coldly.
Never drink cold water while jogging in cold weather. When you run, you are rescued by the fact that no matter how cold it is outside, it is always hot inside. If you start the cold inside, then the body with a high degree of probability will not be able to cope with it, and you will get sick.
Never be afraid to start running, no matter summer or winter, the main thing is your desire and self-realization.
In winter, people breathe little fresh air. And jogging at this time of year compensates for this deficiency and gives the body the necessary supply of oxygen. That is why sometimes people who go jogging for the first time in winter get a little dizzy. Oxygen, as you know, is very important for the normal functioning of the human body, therefore, the health benefits of running in winter primarily lie precisely in obtaining oxygen.
You can run at any temperature. But I do not advise you to run when it is below 20 degrees below zero. The fact is that at such a low temperature, you can simply burn your lungs while running. And if there is also a low running speed, then the body will not be able to warm up to such an extent that it will be able to resist severe frost, and the likelihood of getting sick will be very high, but a lot also depends on the humidity of the air and the presence of wind. So, in high humidity and strong winds -10 degrees can feel much stronger than -25 without wind and with low humidity, so a scarf that covers your mouth and nose will be useful in any frosty weather.
If a running workout takes place away from home, for example, in a running club, you should take a thermos with hot tea with you. It is very useful after a running workout. If you are planning to run more than 10 km, you can take a bottle of water for jogging with a little salt, sugar or fruit juice. This will lower the critical freezing point.
It is clear that the selection of clothing for training in the winter in the fresh air should be done with great care. All parts of the body should be warm. And the face, and hands, and the body, and the head must be insulated, not sparing clothes. But you should not complete yourself to the state of “running cabbage”, clothes should not press, hinder movement, be tight or, conversely, too loose. air could pass along the body from bottom to top. This will help channel the moist air to the outside. This way, you will not get very wet and freeze when you stop or run not very intensely. In addition, the escaping warm air will warm the lower face. If it is not very cold, it is enough to put on some sweatpants on your feet. If it’s cold, then you should also wear compression underwear. On the head – always a knitted hat. If the air temperature is such that knitting does not work, you should get a windproof headgear. Woolen or knitted gloves or mittens should be worn on your hands. Such material retains heat better, does not impede air circulation, so hands do not get wet. In addition, woolen gloves can help warm up your nose or face if necessary. To protect the skin from chapping, you can use a special cream. It will not hurt to protect against frostbite either. A scarf or bandana that covers your mouth and nose will also help. This is especially useful in very cold temperatures.
It is important to note that the weather conditions in winter also put forward special requirements for shoes. It should not be tight so that the blood supply to the foot is not disturbed. It should be sized to fit warm or compression socks. The insoles should be easy to remove to dry.
In winter, warm up and stretch before and after a run must be done in a warm room: at home or at a running base.
If you plan on running during the day, running in the park or in the woods is ideal. I do not advise you to run along highways, since the air in winter time in places where cars are crowded is quite polluted and all the usefulness of running will be replaced by an unpleasant bitterness in the throat. .In all cases, choose a jogging site in which you are confident and will know your route exactly. To do this, you can walk a certain route before jogging or the day before it and at the same time measure the mileage. Also, pay attention to the paths, trying to exclude running on the ice, so as not to fall and slip.
There are no special tips on nutrition in winter as such. If you run during the day, be sure to drink a cup of tea and eat a couple of bananas before running, in no case do not run on an empty stomach. If you plan to run in the evening, then you should not eat tightly 1-2 hours before running. , in general, 3-4 hours is enough for full assimilation and painless sensations in the right side while running.
It is necessary to breathe cold air through the nose, so the air passing through the nose warms up and enters our lungs warm enough. However, focusing on inhaling through the nose, more rapid fatigue may appear due to insufficient oxygen saturation of the lungs, therefore it is necessary to combine breathing through both the nose and through the mouth.
It is sometimes difficult to find a company for jogging in the winter, so many running communities offer us to help. For example, I am the trainer of the Adidas Boost Runclub Losinyi running base (perhaps the name will change to boost runclub Iskra), where you can find a company for jogging, get complete information on running in general. Classes are held for runners completely free of charge, which is now important. For beginners, I recommend running under the guidance of a trainer so that running for you is only a pleasure and does not cause injuries.