Winter is coming! Five tips to be safe while training in cold weather

It is common to feel uncomfortable while training in extreme hot or cold weather. Especially in Jiu-Jitsu where the kimono is the main wear, the martial artists should be cautious. During the summer it is easier to notice how the gi may dangerously increase the athlete’s body temperature, however in the winter, unlike most people might think, the garment is not enough to maintain fighters safe from the chill. When performing a physical training on a bone-chilling day, one must take into account these aspects:

Deep warm up: the importance of warming up before training increases in the cold. It is important not only to perform some movements beforehand, but also do it for a longer period of time. In cold weather our body takes longer to lubricate the joints and irrigate the muscles in order to prepare them for exercise and, without proper heating, the risk of injury rises. The post-workout stretching is also crucial to prevent contractures and tissue damage following practice, however, it is recommended that it be done with the body still heated up.

Control body temperature: Layer up! Using a rash guard underneath the gi helps to retain heat and warm up faster. However, the athlete must also be careful after training because its temperature drops rapidly and is not recommended for him to be still wearing the wet apparel.

Keep Hydrated: one of the biggest training mistakes is the lack of hydration. The fact that on a cold day the body sweats less than on a hot day does not mean it fails to perspire. Depending on the type of workout the net loss may still be significant, so do not neglect hydration! Keep the same routine of the hottest days only the amount of replacement becomes a little smaller. The recommendation is to try to drink at least 50% more water than what it is normally consumed on a normal day without exercising.

Emphasize intensity: Even bundled up, for some, to train in the frost is still hard. An alternative is decreasing the duration of training and emphasizing on intensity. This way you can strongly work on your fitness and conditioning in a less period of time.

Beat laziness: It is common in this period of winter to feel lazy and train less. For motivation, sign up for a competition or define reachable goals and invite a friend to embark on this with you! So, you can schedule workouts along with it and the chances of failure are much lower. Also, try to train at the hottest hours of the day, which are usually the times around noon (10-15h) where we get the higher temperatures. In this way and despite the circumstances that hold us often in bed on a cold day, you will have a good reason to get up and move on, having a goal to be achieved and motivated to accomplish it.