Top tips for running in winter
2 February 2023 by
Temperatures are dropping, dark evenings and mornings are here and staying under the duvet instead of heading out on that early morning run is a lot more tempting.
That's why, with the help from our friends at Coopah, we're sharing tips and tricks on making sure you keep running this winter.
We all know how great that feeling is when you have done your run for the day, it was wet and cold and now you are back home snuggled up by the fire with your favourite snacks! But first, we need to run for this great feeling!
Here's our top tips for running in winter...
Sign up for races
Having a race in your calendar will give you a goal to work towards. Come race day, you will very much appreciate all those tough winter runs you did leading up to this moment.
Check out all of our events here and set yourself a goal for 2023.
Remember running is a mood-booster!
Health experts believe one key reason for mood dips in winter, called seasonal affective disorder, is that less exposure to natural light throws off our circadian rhythms.
Training outdoors during daylight can help reset those rhythms, says Paul Winsper, Under Armour’s VP of Human Performance, Science and Research.
Sunlight exposure also increases production of vitamin D, a key component of mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin.
Add to this the mood-boosting effects of both physical activity and exposure to green space, and cold-weather running can serve as a salve.
Exercising outdoors may also reduce fear and uneasiness. An extensive study found Swedish cross-country skiers were about half as likely to develop anxiety as non-skiers.
Attend your local Park Run
You will find it much easier to run when there is a lot of people doing it together.
It is much more than an easy 5km, it is an event, it is runners coming together! If nothing else, you will have completed a training, improved your fitness and participated in a brilliant event surrounded by the supportive running community.
Join a local running club
This may be a competitive running club or a more social running club.
If you use the Coopah app, drop a message in the chat and see if any runners live near you.
You can also join our official Run For All Strava running club to find like-minded runners and help prepare for our 2023 events.
Run with friends!
If you are meeting a friend for a run, you are more likely to fit in that run. It does not have to be fast, you can have a catch up too!
Focus less on your pace
You know you will feel so much better once you are back from your run. But just the thought of the running session is stopping you heading out that door. Leave for your run with no pace or distance in mind, go out to enjoy it!
When you have been running for 10 - 15 minutes, you can decide to continue as you were, run around or do that run session you had planned.
Ditch the headphones
Remember we spoke about how to enjoy running? Well, winter is the time to take in the surrounding areas, enjoy the birds singing or the cars whizzing by.
Try not to wear headphones to ensure you can hear everything that is going on around you.
Sign up for Coopah
With Coopah, you can train for an upcoming race or run a target time. Coopah will create a personalised training plan just for you.
Having a training plan will eliminate a lot of the hard work with running as Coopah will provide you a workout specific to run which will help you achieve your goal.
You can download the Coopah app for Android devices from the Google Play Store. Users of iOS devices can find it in the App Store.
