Running in the cold

Cold is no reason to stop: well dressed, you can run in most winter weather; the real risks are frostbite and slipping.

• Wear thin layers: base layer, warm layer, windproof or waterproof jacket; in rain, add a cap. Start slightly cool.
• Cover your extremities: hat, gloves or mittens, warm socks; a neck tube over the mouth softens very cold air.
• Warm up indoors for 5 to 10 minutes, then set off into the wind so it’s behind you on the way back.
• On ice or packed snow, shorten your stride or choose a treadmill. With a wind chill below −25 °C, exposed skin can freeze within 30 minutes.

Change out of wet clothes as soon as you stop; if cold air triggers asthma, ask your doctor.