How to dress to run in winter

You know the saying: a sound mind in a sound body. Few sports answer this motto as well as running. As it can be practiced all year long, running is the best way to free your mind while taking care of your health and well-being. While gearing up to run during summer is generally quite simple, going out for a jog in winter requires a bit more preparation.

You may believe that it is as simple as wearing a warm coat and sturdy pants, and while this can seem sufficient, it is quite important to understand good practices when the time comes to dress for a winter run.

1. Dress lightly

It is easy to think that running in the cold requires being dressed as warmly as possible, but it is in fact quite the contrary. Dressing too warmly and wearing cotton garments will only increase the possibility of perspiration and, consequently, the chances of being cold.

Beware, though. Dressing lightly does not mean wearing clothing that will let the cold in. Just like a bike outing, you must choose multiple layers. This technique, which helps regulate the body’s temperature, consists of wearing several layers of clothing, each layer having its own unique properties.

• A base layer: either a t-shirt or a comfortable sweater (see our articles)  
• An intermediate layer: it can be a coat, a vest or another layer of warmer clothing (see our articles) 
• An outer layer: a garment protecting you from the wind, such as a shell or a windbreaker of any kind (see our articles)

2. Cover the extremities

It’s a well-known fact: cold attacks our extremities first, thus the importance of covering them adequately. By extremities, we mostly mean three strategic areas to protect from the cold.

The head: to cover your head, it is essential to pick a tuque or a hood covering the ears as well. Whether you choose something in merino wool or in a more performing fabric such as our MidZero headband (),it is important to make sure that perspiration can evaporate while avoiding heat loss.

The hands: Wear mittens instead of gloves, as they concentrate the heat in one spot. The Zap Wind Mitts are a great example of the type of adequate and infallible equipment to have when the time comes to protect your hands from the winter wind.

The feet: Long socks are the most important. Instead of picking thick socks to protect your feet from the cold, it is important to make sure to cover your ankles, which are at risk of being exposed to the wind.

3. Make sure you are visible

Everybody knows that; winter is synonym with shorter days and early darkness. It is therefore important to choose the most efficient method of remaining visible at all times. Safety should be a priority for everyone, and this is why wearing clothing designed with reflector accents is a must for any runner. (https://www.sugoi.com/fr_ca/zap).  

Being visible does not necessarily mean getting a garment whose style is affected by the visibility of the reflector accents. Thanks to the ZAP technology, light from cars is 100% reflected towards the driver, making the runner visible at all times. In addition, the advantage of this technology is that once the light leaves the garment, the reflector accents become invisible, keeping its style intact. This lets you get the best of two worlds: run safely and do it in style.

Following this list guarantees an optimal run. Because running should be easy and accessible, no matter the season.