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Jérémie Blanchard (Sports coach)
Doing sports in cold weather is not prohibited, quite the contrary. But the conditions can change the situation a little. Here’s what you shouldn’t forget before going out for an effective session, according to sports coach Jérémie Blanchard.
The plummeting temperatures haven’t dampened your motivation for running? Perfect. But these sometimes extreme conditions should invite you to adapt your practice so as not to run any risks. Jérémie Blanchard, sports coach, gives us his kind advice for doing sports in cold weather.
Benefits and risks
So the much cooler temperatures have their share of benefits and disadvantages for those who want to practice their sport outdoors. “There are more risks, even if it depends on the person and their preparation”informs us Jérémie Blanchard, sports coach and founder of Phoenix coaching.
“The main benefit is much greater calorie burning in cold weather to maintain body temperature at 37 degrees. As the body constantly struggles to maintain temperature, it burns more calories than calories for equivalent activity. specifies our expert.
But being active in the cold also means taking greater risks of vascular disease and injuries: “This is because of vasoconstriction of blood vessels. When the vessels become smaller, they transmit less oxygen to the muscles. And less oxygen causes more damage.” he reports.
Sports practice: 6 things to forget in cold weather
To deal with this situation, Jérémie Blanchard discusses for us 6 habits to avoid, if you want to continue your outdoor training in winter.
Continue at your usual intensity
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to change your sport or activity. However, it is a matter of adapting the intensity of your practice. “Outdoors, we will do less interval training, practice less at high intensity, for the benefit of endurance for example.”
Neglecting the warm-up
Low temperatures require you to warm up longer than usual to better prepare your body and better lubricate your joints to avoid an accident. “As with oil in a car, you need to heat your body for longer, taking the time to warm your muscles so that they are more capable of this effort in the cold. This will prevent tendonitis, for example.”
Forget to drink
Another common mistake: drinking less in cold weather than in summer. “The feeling of thirst is less present in the cold, but that is a mistake. As the efforts are greater for the body, when you drink less, the dehydration intervenes even more quickly” reminds our expert. Having a water bottle available is therefore essential.
Covering up too much (or too little)
Equipment is also important. This must be both sufficient, without being too hot. “The priority is to cover the extremities, i.e. the hands, feet and head, because this is where 70% of the heat comes from” the coach begins. But that’s not all. “You should not cover yourself too much, to avoidhyperthermiabut rather opt for appropriate clothing such as technical clothing that wicks away sweat while retaining heat.” With a reminder: being too hot also means sweating and therefore dehydration.
Stay outside once the effort is over
Once the effort is over, there’s no point hanging around outside while you’re sweating. “The important thing is to immediately move to a dry and warm place at the end of the session. Some people take the opportunity to stay outside and talk, but it’s the best way toget a cold”.
Take a hot shower right after exercise
After the effort, comfort! And this often involves a hot shower to relax you. But to avoid the risk, she will have to wait a few minutes. “It is very bad to take a shower as soon as you get back from exercise because the hot/cold effect and the thermal shock pose a risk to the heart.” Our coach’s advice? Get dry, stretch, rest and take a shower after just 15 minutes.
Slide: 10 tips for running when it’s cold