As the temperature drops, the risk of injuries caused by sports and physical activity rises. Due to the colder weather, muscles become tighter and have less range of motion, which can cause injuries.

One of the most important tools to prevent injury is to dress warmly if you are exercising outdoors. Cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track coach Seth Karpinski says, “I make sure all the runners are wearing clothes that will keep them warm without restricting their range of motion.”

The Dial recommends wearing compression leggings and a sweat-wicking tight long sleeve along with a fleece and gloves. When you are running, wearing a neck warmer or scarf is optimal to prevent burning lungs.

For winter athletes, it is important to warm up with a brisk jog before dynamic stretching. Some helpful stretches are: arm circles, high knees, lunges, and frankensteins. These exercises can be performed by moving the arms, bringing each knee as high as your hips, and kicking each leg up to chest level.

Dynamic stretches are more effective than static ones in terms of preparing for a workout in cold weather because they promote blood flow, as well as stretch muscles and prepare them for a workout. Stretching your muscles after a workout is just as important to help lower your heart rate slowly. Mr. Karpinski recommends “wrapping up with a sequence of static stretches in a warm place once you’ve finished.”

Even during breaks or on the sidelines in a game, it is crucial to stay moving. You can stay warm by jogging in place or performing moving lunges.

For athletes who do not participate in a winter sport at Hackley, it is still beneficial to get a workout into your schedule to stay in shape. Mr. Karpinski has a training program for his winter track athletes who compete in cross country and outdoor track that could be used for athletes who do not participate in winter track. He recommends focusing on strength training, and said, “We will be lifting and doing a significant amount of plyometric and core work.” Athletes can focus on strength by doing core workouts and running. Some gym options that Hackley offers that can achieve this are yoga, which promotes core strength, or zumba.

In the winter season, when it is easiest to get injuries due to tight and cold muscles, it is best to warm up, dress appropriately, and focus on increasing core strength, as going outside can prove a challenge given the harsh winter weather.