- When choosing what layers to wear when gearing up for an outdoor workout in cold weather, check the temperature. Plan to wear clothing appropriate for temperatures 20 degrees warmer than it is outside, as you will warm up during your workout and want to avoid overheating. In general, clothing for a cold-weather workout should include an inner layer, outer layer and cold-weather accessories.
- The best options for your bottom-most layer is light, breathable wicking fabric. If it is very cold outside, choose long johns underneath your outer layers. The top and bottom of your pair of long johns should ideally be very thin, breathable, and have the ability to wick away sweat. Brands to look for include Patagonia, North Face and Nike.
- For your next layer, look for breathable, sweat-wicking fabric. A half-zip fleece top is a comfortable and easily removable option to cover your top half. For your bottom half, you may opt to wear lightweight running pants. If it is extremely cold outside, wear a fleece-lined running pant or a running tight made of Polartec fleece. Brands to consider for these tops and bottoms include Patagonia, Nike, North Face, Brooks and New Balance. To top it all off, consider wearing a lightweight jacket, especially if it is snowing.
- You will also want to add cold-weather accessories to your winter workout wardrobe. Items to consider include gloves, a hat, earnuffs ("180s" that are worn around the back of your head, are particularly useful and non-clunky for winter-time runs), and a balaclava for extreme cold. Again, look for items made of fleece. Brands to look for include North Face, Asics, Sugoi, Brooks and Nike.
previous post