Walking in the cold - clothes, gear, tips, etc.

summer92008

I've been walking since the summer and took a couple month break lately. Now I'd like to start again since finals are coming to an end and I will have more time to focus on exercise. Here is my plan:

Monday, Wednesday, Saturday: walk/jog 3-5 miles
Every other day except Sunday: strength training
Sunday: rest

Questions:
Should I layer lighter clothes or just wear a medium weight hoodie? The weather around here varies greatly - earlier today it was mid 60s, now it is 39. But for the most part it is in he 30s or 40s with wind. Should I wear gloves and a little wrap that goes around my head and covers my ears? I'm not out in the cold too much, so I don't know what is enough/not enough/too much, and I don't want to be miserable while walking.
Can I wear my typical walking shoes that I wore over the summer?
Should I drink water or wait to drink until afterwards since it will be cold. I tend to find myself less thirsty when walking in the cold, but I don't know if it is important to still hydrate even if I don't seem thirsty.
Should I still walk 3-5 miles a day like I did over the summer, or should I walk less and build up since it is colder, or should I just listen to my body and go with it?
How do I manage hurting lungs from the cold air? Will it get better naturally as I walk more and more in the cold and my lungs just get used to it?

SW: 149 lbs
CW: 133-134
GW: 129
Height: 5'6''
Female
21 years old

Happy walking!

rosebette

I walk year-round, and I always find the cold a big adjustment. First, if it's below 40, I almost always wear a knit hat or ear coverings. I also wear gloves, and if below freezing, 2 pairs. My legs get cold, so I wear heavy sweats, or if leggings, sweats over them. I also bought a full-length down coat, and if I wear that, my butt and legs are pretty much covered. I can't walk as fast with it, but I'm warm. I usually do a mile and a half to two miles a day, but when I first start, sometimes I can only stand about 3/4 to 1 mile. However, with each day, my body gets acclimated, and I can walk longer. Our bodies get used to cold, just like they get used to heat, and by February, 35 degrees feels almost warm. I don't typically bring water when walking unless it's really hot; I just hydrate before and after.

summer92008

rosebette wrote: »

I walk year-round, and I always find the cold a big adjustment. First, if it's below 40, I almost always wear a knit hat or ear coverings. I also wear gloves, and if below freezing, 2 pairs. My legs get cold, so I wear heavy sweats, or if leggings, sweats over them. I also bought a full-length down coat, and if I wear that, my butt and legs are pretty much covered. I can't walk as fast with it, but I'm warm. I usually do a mile and a half to two miles a day, but when I first start, sometimes I can only stand about 3/4 to 1 mile. However, with each day, my body gets acclimated, and I can walk longer. Our bodies get used to cold, just like they get used to heat, and by February, 35 degrees feels almost warm. I don't typically bring water when walking unless it's really hot; I just hydrate before and after.

Thanks. I planned on wearing leggings mainly because I don't have sweats, but it sounds like I may need them. Any opinion on brand/type of tops and pants to purchase? I thought about just wearing a sweatshirt from high school since I'm a broke college student lol, but I don't know if that would look weird because quite a few people walk where I live and they have all of these fancy outfits.

aylajane

I wear about 4 layers when it gets below about 50 degrees (down to about 10 I am ok) - a tight sweat wicking shirt/bottoms, a tight warmer long underwear type, a sweatshirt/pants or thicker shirt, then a jacket. I wear two pairs of socks - one fuzzy, the other wool - along with hiking type waterproof shoes/boots (cause wet feet suck). I also carry a mostly empty backpack with me - then I shed layers as I warm up, or in case I over did it. I keep extra gloves/scarf in the backback in case I underdid it. I also bought rechargable hand warmers I keep in my pockets so sometimes I dont bother with gloves.
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- Dont bother too much with brands - hit up the thrift stores and go for quantity. For under $25 you can get everything you need, and usually brands you couldnt afford new anyway. Look for stuff you can layer, then the quality doesnt matter too much anyway.
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- Put on headphones, and ignore the other people and their clothes. I promise, they are ignoring you and yours.

aylajane

For the hurting lungs and cold air, use a scarf - that way you are breathing back in your own warm air. Once you get sweating a little bit, you will likely find you dont need it after all - its just the beginning part.

bwogilvie

For 3-5 miles in weather above freezing, I don't think you need to overthink this. Just experiment. Put on some medium weight socks, a comfortable pair of pants, a long-sleeved base, and a jacket or hoodie. Take a light hat and light gloves. If you feel hot, take off the hat and gloves, and if necessary, unzip the jacket. If you feel cold after 5-10 minutes dressed like that, loop back home and add another layer. Leggings under the pants are good for the legs, while another jacket (or a jacket over the hoodie) is good for your upper body. If you're too hot with a hat, but your ears get cold without one, then buy a headband that covers the ears.

If you're alternating jogging with walking, your main concern will probably be that you're getting too warm. Having a top layer that you can unzip helps immensely. In my run yesterday (around 40 F), I started with a lightweight long-sleeved top and a lightweight jacket, zipped up. I finished with the jacket unzipped and flapping in the wind.

Fancy technical gear is all well and good if you can afford it, and the colder it gets, the nicer it is. But cheaper clothing works well. Just remember that cotton isn't ideal because it absorbs water and gets clammy, and that layers allow you to easily adjust temperature. I will wear cotton jeans when walking or hiking in the cold, but usually with a synthetic or wool layer below them.

If you get into running, that's the point where technical gear that is warm, breathable, and wind-resistant becomes important, especially below freezing.

No one is really going to care what you wear when you're walking.

summer92008

Thanks everyone. I think I may hit up thrift stores or cheaper places instead of fancier stores and see how that works. Not too much to spend when I'm about to shell out $800 for school books! I appreciate everyone's tips! Will normal tennis shoes work? I will be walking where it is dry, so I don't know if I need to worry too much about wet feet, thankfully.

astrampe

Costco has nice running tights/leggings and thermal long sleeved shirts for under $20 each.... gloves, cheap toque and a light jacket/sweater that you can take off when you run and get hot.
Regular running shoes. Drink water when you feel thirsty, carry a scarf, but you might not use it..
Dont overthink it, it's not an expedition to Mount Everest, its just a short walk/run....
Have fun!

LifeNewandImproved

I've been using this: http://www.runnersworld.com/what-to-wear

with the setting on "easy run" for a walk and long run if I'm doing jogging, and it hasn't steered me wrong yet! I just wear ebay long underwear for tights and it works fine. any type of leggings have worked for me.

I bought a running cap on amazon for $6 that covers ears (and has a ponytail hole!) and also yaktrax pro for those days it's snowing. so far so good.

nickatine

I wish it was that warm here I'm in Winnipeg where winter is not tolerable, -Im currently wearing northface goosedown jacket when I leave the house, ski mask if I'm walking somewhere.

bwogilvie

summer92008 wrote: »

Will normal tennis shoes work? I will be walking where it is dry, so I don't know if I need to worry too much about wet feet, thankfully.

If you're just walking, yes. For longer distances, a good pair of walking or hiking shoes would be better.

If you're serious about alternating walking with running, though, get running shoes. They're the one thing it's worth paying a premium price for, because running puts a lot more stress on your muscles and joints than walking does. You can walk in running shoes, but it's not a good idea to run in walking shoes.

shano25

I walk everywhere, summer or winter. And by winter I mean Canadian winter (not Winnipeg winter though, that just defies logic). I wear layers, a t-shirt, then a sweatshirt then my down winter jacket, unless it's above freezing then I wear a sporty anorak. I usually just wear leggings and one pair of socks. If it's windy, I wear a pair of nylon track pants over them. Usually a knitted head band, a pair of gloves, and a knitted scarf if it's really cold.

And every single time I am sweating. I find myself unzipping my jacket almost every time. I don't care about that though, I'm not overheating, so I just make sure that the layers I'm wearing close to my skin are appropriate for sweating. So usually old t-shirts or dri-fit clothes.

As for shoes, you summer ones will work well unless it snows a lot or gets icy where you live, then you'll want ones with a better grip.