Shaker Cups

Not many people like to be active when it’s cold but there are a few of us out there that like nothing best than a run in the cold to warm ourselves up. If you are like us and love to get active when others stay indoors, we have five essential running tips just for you an ensure you have a running or sports shaker bottle to stay hydrated.

1. Warm Up Slowly

Cold weather will cause blood to shunt towards the trunk and away from the extremities. Therefore, to encourage blood to the limbs, spend five minutes walking, wiggling the fingers and toes as you try and establish a light sweat.  Then start stretching the leg muscles for at least 30 seconds and begin a gentle run allowing five minutes to bring you up to normal pace.

2. Be Seen

Probably the best piece of advice we could give you and it may sound obvious but short days and long nights make the need for reflective strips on your clothing and shoes an absolute must. Thankfully, most running specific clothing already has this built in but not all of us have day glow clothing in our wardrobe, at least not to wear in public. A simple added reflective band around your leg or arm will help you get seen.

3. Breathe Slowly

People often wonder why they cough so much when exerting themselves in the cold but running in the cold can cause your airways to constrict when you are trying to breathe causing the coughing effect experienced by most “novice runners” and fitness junkies like myself. By holding your breath for one second longer, you can open up special airways in the lungs that help it to work more effectively in cold weather. Practise this and you’ll find breathing in the cold far much less of a splutter.

4. Avoid Twisted Ankles

The risk of twisting an ankle increases in the wet and icy conditions. Some ankle sprains may take three or even several months to heal and can cause ligament damage. So avoid running in the dark where you can’t see loose paving stones.

5. Don’t Get Cold Last but by no means least, you will find that temperature drops rapidly once you finish running, so don’t stop completely at the end of a run. A 5-10 minute brisk walk at the end of your run will ensure that your muscles don’t cramp up and may help to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness also known as DOMS.