While these responses are important for keeping you alive, they\u2019re not always helpful for working out<\/a>, since they can affect how easily you move and can make you more prone to injury. Cold weather can also stress your cardiovascular system.<\/p>\n But experts say that with the right precautions, you can offset these risks and better avoid injury. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n How the cold affects your muscles<\/p>\n When you\u2019re exposed to the cold, your body redirects blood away from your arms and legs and toward your core, to keep your vital organs warm. This causes your muscles and joints to stiffen, making it challenging to move fluidly.<\/p>\n This can affect your performance, in part because rigid muscles aren\u2019t able to exert as much force as muscles that are warm, and they don\u2019t react as quickly, says Dr Adam Tenforde, a sports medicine specialist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n When your tissue is stiff from the cold, you\u2019re also more susceptible to strains and tears. Your range of motion may be limited, too. Think leaping over a puddle, only to feel a yank in your hamstring.<\/p>\n Cold exposure can impair your balance, too, since stiff muscles can lead to unsteady ankles and knees, says Dr Nnaemeka Echebiri, a physiatrist and musculoskeletal specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. This may make you more likely to slip and fall, he says, especially on icy or uneven surfaces.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Forget the gym: Here\u2019s four fitness lessons from around the worldOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n How the cold affects your cardiovascular system<\/p>\n When the vessels in your extremities constrict, your blood pressure goes up and, generally, your heart has to work harder to keep blood circulating throughout your body.<\/p>\n This can make cold-weather workouts more challenging and make you tired more quickly than in more moderate temperatures, says Clare Eglin, a thermal physiologist at the University of Portsmouth in England and a co-author of the American College of Sports Medicine\u2019s official position statement on preventing injury in the cold.<\/p>\n If you have a history of heart or vascular disease, experts recommend speaking with your doctor before taking up a cold-weather workout routine, since cold exposure can raise your risk of heart attack and stroke.<\/p>\n How to stay comfortable and safe<\/p>\n A few simple precautions can help keep your muscles warm and decrease your chances of getting injured, experts say.<\/p>\n Layer up<\/p>\n With the right clothing, you can keep your muscles pliable and protect your body from getting cold in the first place.<\/p>\n A moisture-wicking base layer can prevent sweat from cooling you down, Echebiri says, but avoid cotton, which holds on to moisture. And a windproof and waterproof outer layer can help retain body heat.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018Mum just went for it … she didn\u2019t need any convincing\u2019: Christmas swimmers brave the coldOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Wear a hat, too, since you lose a lot of heat through your head, and put on gloves, since your hands are especially vulnerable to cold. Keeping your feet warm is also important, since some evidence suggests cold feet can impair your balance as well, Eglin says.<\/p>\n Warm up<\/p>\n A dynamic warm-up to improve circulation to your extremities is even more important before a cold-weather workout than before a warm-weather one, Tenforde says.<\/p>\n He recommends spending a few minutes moving around indoors before heading outside. Arm circles and swings, high steps and lunges are good options to get the blood flowing.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to be outside before you start your workout, keep moving, experts say. Walking, jogging in place and doing jumping jacks can help you stay warm.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Women in stressful jobs on how they manage nutrition, exercise and more: \u2018I never know what each day might bring\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Once you begin your workout, start slowly and gradually increase your intensity. Exercise increases your core body temperature, so after a few minutes, blood flow should return to your arms and legs, and you should be able to move more freely, Eglin says.<\/p>\n Hydrate<\/p>\n You don\u2019t typically get as thirsty in cold temperatures, but you still sweat. That combination can increase your risk of becoming dehydrated, Eglin says. (Cold weather can also make you urinate more, which can contribute to dehydration.)<\/p>\n When you\u2019re dehydrated, your blood volume decreases, which can further reduce blood flow to your muscles and put more stress on your heart.<\/p>\n Drink fluids before, during and after a cold workout, Echebiri says, even if you\u2019re not thirsty.<\/p>\n Know your route<\/p>\n When your movement is altered, you may not be able to dodge unexpected obstacles in your path as easily as you can in warm weather. To minimise your risk, choose a path you know well, with few hazards. And wear shoes with grip, Echebiri said.<\/p>\n Finally, listen to your body, Tenforde says. If you\u2019re really struggling during a cold-weather workout, you may be best off ending your workout early \u2013 or moving it inside. \u2013 This article originally appeared in the New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When I exercise in frigid temperatures, my muscles and joints feel stiff and slower to react. Does this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[1348,499,103,12875,61,60,18335],"class_list":{"0":"post-233888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-exercise","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-health-wellness","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-weather-events"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"No](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IOKELYWJWVAJ7MER52CMJZVDHI.jpg\")
No matter the weather, Finnish people walk everywhere. Photograph: Vesa Laitinen\/The New York Times <\/p>\n![\"Swimmers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NHUVQPNI7BCLHCQWS3RVGXXGQI.JPG\")
Swimmers enjoy a Christmas Day dip at Sandycove in South Co. Dublin. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n