Top Tips: Keeping Warm During Your Winter Training Session

When the cold days and even colder nights are upon us, many people are tempted to snuggle up in bed and completely forget about their fitness regime and skip football training sessions. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. If you take the necessary precautions, you can still enjoy your winter training session whatever the weather. Follow these top tips and stay toasty.

Eat right

One of the easiest ways to keep warm during football training is by eating well. Winter warmers like mince and dumplings and your mum’s Sunday roast will leave you feeling warmer, but you’ll also feel incredibly lethargic – hardly ideal before a training session!

Go for complex carbohydrates that are ideally served hot or at least warm. These take longer to break down, so provide a slow release of energy. Pasta, soups and baked potatoes would all be good choices. Remember to keep your energy levels topped up too, so pack a snack that you can eat during your training.

You may feel like you need to drink less than you would if you were exercising in the summer, but this isn’t the case. While you may not feel thirsty, your body uses up a lot more water in the winter through respiration, in order to maintain your body temperature. It is important that you replenish these fluids, so always pack a drink into your sports bag.

You can find some great healthy recipes here.

Use the right equipment

Heading out for your training session decked out in thin summer shorts and a flimsy t-shirt will not adequately protect you against the cold.

Base layers are a great option in the winter. These tight-fitting garments hug the body, trapping heat in the process. The specially designed fabric works to maintain your body temperature by aiding the evaporation of sweat. Take a look at Activinstinct: they have a great selection of these, plus other outdoor clothing that is both warm and practical.

Increase your intensity

Being constantly moving will help to keep your heart pumping and also generate heat. Up your intensity to make your body work harder and stay warm in the process. For example, mix bursts of running into your daily jog or cover more distance on the football field.

What are your top tips for staying warm when training in the winter?