Many people try to avoid exercise in cold weather. But you don’t have to take a break from outdoor physical activity when the temperature drops.

“Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate,” said Matthew J. Rachwalski, DO, a Michigan City sports medicine specialist with Franciscan Health Sports Medicine. You can usually exercise safely if you take precautions and know your environment.

Cold Weather Exercise Clothes

Proper clothing is essential for a cold-weather workout, like running. Even in the winter, you can sweat. And when extreme cold combines with moisture on your skin, hypothermia is possible.

To stay comfortable, you want to prevent heat loss through your extremities and dress in layers. Layers help trap warm air near your body for the best possible insulation. However, wearing layers made of specific material is important. In general, avoid cotton; it holds moisture and will eventually start to chill you. Synthetic clothing is best to wear closest to your skin.

Layer Your Clothing For Winter Exercise

Don’t be too worried about overdressing when preparing to exercise outside in the winter.

“It’s always easier to take layers off than put more layers on when you’re out in the environment,” said Thomas Schmittdiel, MD, a Michigan City primary care sports medicine physician with Franciscan.

You will warm up as you get moving, but you might feel a bit chilly when you first start. Here are tips for your layers:

• Wicking inner layer: The material closest to your skin should keep you dry. Moisture wicking, or quick-dry, clothing is best for your first layer.
• Insulating middle layer: Your second/middle layer should keep warmth in while keeping you dry.
• Wind and waterproof outer layer (shell): This layer should protect you from outside elements and allow heat and moisture to escape to prevent overheating and chilling. A zippered jacket allows you to regulate your temperature. Zippered pockets can store gloves, tissues and lip balm.
• Tights/running pants: Your legs generate a lot of heat even when jogging in cold weather, so you don’t need as many layers on your lower body. Usually, a good pair of wicking tights or running pants is sufficient. When it’s below 10 degrees or there are strong winds, think about layering track pants over your tights.
• Socks: In very cold weather, consider knee-high socks.
• Hat/gloves: You lose about 40 percent of your body heat through your head. As much as 30 percent of your body heat escapes through your hands and feet. A hat and gloves help prevent heat loss. You can always tuck them into your pants if you start to overheat.
  
  Watch For Frostbite When Exercising In The Cold
• On really cold days, make sure you monitor your fingers, toes, ears and nose.
• “In a very cold environment, our blood vessels clamp down as part of the body’s natural defenses,” said Dr. Schmittdiel. “This is known as vasoconstriction. It helps keep all your warm blood circulating near your vital organs, such as your heart and lungs and all the organs of your abdomen.”
• Vasoconstriction may make it harder for the peripheral areas of your body to stay warm. That’s why hats, gloves and boots, when appropriate, are so important. Your fingers, toes, ears and nose may be cold when you first go outdoors, but they should warm up a few minutes into your exercise. If you notice a patch of hard, pale, cold skin, you may have frostbite.
• First-Degree Frostbite
• First-degree frostbite affects only the surface of your skin. Early symptoms are pain and itchiness. The skin then develops white or yellow patches and may become numb. Due to its surface-level impact, this type of frostbite doesn’t usually cause permanent damage. However, an area of skin with first-degree frostbite may lose sensitivity to heat and cold for a short period.
• Second-Degree Frostbite
• Second-degree frostbite may cause the skin to freeze and harden but it doesn’t affect the deep tissues. After two days, purple blisters may develop in areas that froze. These blisters may turn black and become hard, taking three to four weeks to heal. A person with second-degree frostbite and nerve damage might experience numbness, pain or total loss of sensation in the area. The decreased sensitivity to heat and cold may be permanent.
• Third- And Fourth-Degree Frostbite
• In people with the most severe cases of frostbite, the damage penetrates further into the body, causing deep tissue injury.
• Muscles, blood vessels, nerves and tendons freeze. The skin feels smooth and waxy. Some people may lose the use of an extremity, such as a foot or a hand. This may be permanent.
• Frostbite Treatments
• If you begin to experience symptoms of frostbite, get out of the cold immediately and slowly warm the affected area.
• Remove wet clothing.
• Re-warm your skin by placing it in warm water.
• Do not rub your skin.
• Do not place the affected area in cold water.
• If numbness continues, seek emergency care.