{"id":35307,"date":"2025-11-25T22:38:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T22:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/is-winter-running-right-for-me\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T22:38:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T22:38:17","slug":"is-winter-running-right-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/is-winter-running-right-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Winter Running Right for Me?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that running provides a smattering of benefits. It supports your metabolism and improves cardiovascular fitness. It can improve your mood and mindset<\/a>. It offers a gateway to greater social connections. And it gives you a regular opportunity to convene with nature.<\/p>\n

For most runners living in northern climes, that last benefit is largely a three-season affair. Winter introduces a host of reasons to opt for indoor alternatives: The footing can be treacherous. The daylight arrives late and departs early. It\u2019s dry. It\u2019s windy. It\u2019s cold \u2014\u00a0often unbearably so.<\/p>\n

But the benefits to lacing \u2018em up and hitting the pavement \u2014\u00a0er, snow \u2014\u00a0can multiply in the winter months compared with running indoors on the treadmill<\/a>. If you\u2019re wondering whether winter running might be your cup of tea, ask yourself these questions.<\/p>\n

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Am I navigating any injuries?<\/h4>\n

Sticking to clear paths can make outdoor winter running safe for most people. But where winter really hits, snow and ice can be hard to dodge. The risk of injury from slippery conditions and altered footing is real and understandably gives runners pause.<\/p>\n

Runners who deal or have dealt with calf or hamstring injuries<\/a>, ankle instability or strains, balance issues, low bone density, stress fractures, circulatory disorders, or cold sensitivity may want to opt for an indoor alternative.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people have specific injuries, such as a hamstring injury, it\u2019s really hard to push off on snowy, icy surfaces,\u201d says Angela Voight, MD, a sports-medicine specialist with Twin Cities\u2013based Summit Orthopedics. \u201cSo if you have something nagging like that, don\u2019t try to go out on poor surfaces. Find a dry surface or run on the treadmill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Voight suggests that traction devices can be a good way to mitigate your risk of falling outdoors, but she doesn\u2019t recommend them across the board. She cautions that you\u2019ll want to ease into using them because they\u2019ll alter your gait. \u201cIf you want to try, like, Yaktrax, maybe do a short run in them, or walk in them, just to slowly get used to them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Voight recommends checking in with a physical therapist if you\u2019re unsure whether your body is up for the variable ground or road conditions. A good PT can evaluate your strength and point you to specific strengthening exercises<\/a> that can help decrease your risk of injury. They can look at your gait and assess your footwear and make recommendations on any necessary changes.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019ve dealt with the aforementioned injuries or conditions, Voight says, \u201cstrengthening the specific areas<\/a> that have been previously injured is one of the best ways to help reduce the risk of recurrence.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What do I want to achieve?<\/h4>\n

Running outdoors in winter may not be the right training stimulus to reach your goals. For athletes preparing for a specific springtime event \u2014 say, the Boston Marathon, held each year in April \u2014 outdoor training in the winter often won\u2019t be sufficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are times when you have to hit your paces or you have to go for these long, hard runs,\u201d which might not be possible where you live, says Olympian Carrie Tollefson. \u201cA long, hard run that\u2019s very, very slow in the snow might be really fun and give you that sense of accomplishment. But there might be that day where you say, OK, now I do have to switch and go indoors<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re training for a big summer or fall race \u2014\u00a0or just looking to maintain aerobic fitness \u2014 running outdoors in the winter is a great way to build your base of miles<\/a> without worrying about intensity.<\/p>\n

Your risk of sustaining an overuse injury goes down because you\u2019re forced to vary your gait<\/a> by dodging snow and ice and tackling hills, turns, and uneven terrain, Voight says. Your leg muscles expend more energy in cold weather, which comes with benefits that extend northward to your heart. Greater muscle activity combined with the vasoconstriction required for thermogenesis makes the heart beat faster and work harder to circulate blood. That makes the heart stronger, which can lead to greater cardiovascular fitness and a higher metabolism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And if your goal is simply to get outside? Running outdoors in the winter combines twin mental health benefits: You get the sunlight exposure your body needs<\/a> to initiate vitamin D synthesis, and, with just 15 minutes of running each day, you can reduce your risk of developing major depression, according to a study out of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n

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Do I enjoy a challenge?<\/h4>\n

\u201cRunning in the winter is really, really hard,\u201d says Tollefson. Physically, factors like cold temps and snowy terrain can slow your pace and stress your muscles in new, often uncomfortable ways.<\/p>\n

The challenge isn\u2019t only physical, though. \u201cIt\u2019s hard mentally more than anything,\u201d Tollefson adds. Frustration with the weather \u2014 and how you perform in those conditions \u2014 can wear down even the most avid runners. It takes a special attitude<\/a> to not just tolerate but truly embrace winter running.<\/p>\n

Finding joy in some aspect of the experience is key to making the hard parts feel worth it. For Tollefson, it\u2019s the sense of accomplishment<\/a> after the run is over that draws her back into the cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I come back from a run, I still get that boost, and I\u2019m pumped about it,\u201d she says. \u201cI think, You did something awesome today<\/em>.\u201d (If winter running doesn\u2019t bring you satisfaction or joy, that is a good reason to pivot your training routine.)<\/p>\n

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Would I rather be inside?<\/h4>\n

If running outdoors just isn\u2019t in the cards for you \u2014 be it a matter of safety, performance, or personal preference \u2014 running on a treadmill is a great alternative<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Michael Rodriguez, DPT, a distance-running coach and founder of Endurance Sports Physical Therapy and Performance in St. Louis Park, Minn., suggests you can avoid the \u201cdreadmill\u201d \u2014\u00a0the perception and sometimes reality of the monotony that comes from running in place \u2014\u00a0by mixing up paces and elevation and by listening<\/a> to a favorite podcast or catching up on shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may be more indoor-running options in your community,\u201d Rodriguez notes. Some stadiums open their concourses to the public for recreation. And many health clubs have indoor tracks. Pool running and the elliptical are other great low-impact options for maintaining your training in the depths of winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a benefit to remembering the options that we do have indoors,\u201d Tollefson says, emphasizing that a treadmill run is nothing to sneeze at. \u201cDon\u2019t feel like you\u2019re not as tough for being on a treadmill.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Is Winter Running Right for Me?<\/a> appeared first on Experience Life<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that running provides a smattering of benefits. It supports your metabolism and improves cardiovascular fitness. It can improve your mood and mindset. It offers a gateway to greater social connections. And it gives you a regular opportunity to convene with nature. For most runners living in northern climes, that last benefit is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-life"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-25 16:24:56","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}