Don't Let Winter Stop You From Running or Walking Outdoors!

We've had a hurricane, nor'easter and a snowfall and it's not even December yet.  When we ask our customers at Fleet Feet Mahwah, where they plan to run, we typically hear, "Now that it's cold, on the treadmill."

A treadmill can offer a good alternative to outdoor running, but there's really no reason to stay indoors the entire winter season if you follow some basic tips.

Tops on the list is safety. We have less daylight hours so, wearing reflective gear is a must.  It's also good to wear a headlamp so you can see exactly where you'll place your feet on the road ahead. It also makes you more visible to oncoming traffic. There are numerous reflective/lighting options available that you can purchase, for your head right down to your feet. Specialty running shoes have reflective components in them.

From a weather standpoint, the cold basically has four risks that you have to protect yourself from in the winter. They are hypothermia, dehydration, and frostbite. The good news is that it's very easy to protect yourself from ALL of them, with minimum effort and common sense.

Hypothermia results when the core temperature of the body drops due to the cold. Frostbite results from the freezing of the body fluids near and under the skin due to exposure to the cold. Dehydration, the lack of sufficient fluids, can complicate both.

You can protect yourself by wearing light layers of technical fabircs, that do not contain cotton.

Click on this link for a more detailed explanation of each condition and how you can protect yourself.

By taking some simple steps, you can continue to run or walk outdoors this winter.