Winter Running Tips

Now that temperatures are decreasing in some parts of the world and staying under the duvet instead of heading out on that early morning run is a lot more tempting, it is important to share tips and tricks on making sure you keep running this winter.

And 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!

This blog will share some tricks that keeps the Coopah team running through the winter! For tips on staying safe and warm head to Running in Winter: Benefits and Protection Strategies.

Why keep running during winter you may ask?

Many people, especially in the much colder climates, notice their mood dips in the colder months which is a condition called seasonal affective disorder. One reason for this is they have less exposure to natural light and this throws off our circadian rhythms according to health experts. According to Paul Winsper, featured in a Runners World article, training outdoors (for example, going for a run) can help us reset those rhythms and the sunlight exposure can increase our vitamin D production levels. Vitamin D is an essential component of mood-regulating neurotransmitters. And on top of this, we know there are mood-boosting effects if you do physical activity and are exposed to green space. So as long as it is safe to do so, running can help fight that mood dip many of us face during the winter months.

You may want to keep running during the winter months to improve / maintain your fitness, train for a race or achieve your next running milestone. Another very good reason to keep running during the colder months is to enjoy the beautiful sights winter has to offer us!

You’ll decrease the impact of seasonal sadness

Millions of Americans—especially those who live in northern climates—notice that their mood dips in colder months. Health experts believe one key reason for this condition, 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 (and, Winsper points out, critical to a healthy immune system).

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, Dawson says—an antidote for “nature deficit disorder,” a term coined by author Richard Louv to refer to disconnection from the world around us. In addition, exercising outdoors may also decrease fear and uneasiness; in one large 21-year study, Swedish cross-country skiers were about half as likely to develop anxiety as non-skiers.

Ways to Keep Running During Winter

Sign up to Races

Be this a Leicester 10k at the end of January, Sheffield Half Marathon in March or even Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in May! 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. And crossing that finish line will mean

Attend your Local Park Run

I find it much easier to run when there is a lot of us 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, for example, York Acorn 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 could make your own running group!

Run with Friends!

If you are meeting a friend for a run, you are more likely to fit that run. It does not have to be fast, you can have a catch up too!

FOCUS LESS ON THE PACE, enjoy the run

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.

Sign Up To 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.