Don't let frigid weather interrupt your exercise routine

How cold is too cold to run outside during this frigid, nasty winter?

It's never too cold as long as you dress properly, experts say, and you'll probably burn more calories than you would on a summer day.

"One of the main components of running in cold weather is wearing a lot of layers in a specific way," says certified personal trainer Jeff Nelson, president of Multiform Fitness in Hoffman Estates.

"The first layer should be moisture-wicking to draw moisture away from the body, while the second layer should contain insulation such as a fleece and the outer layer should be wind- and water- proof. Several thinner layers are always better than one thick layer.

"The layers are like those three-layer Jell-O squares but the exact opposite. The fluffy part is comparable to your first layer, the middle is the combination of the inner and outer layer and the bottom of the Jell-O square is the dense part which is your outer shell," he says.

So, no matter how cold it is outside, it's perfectly safe to brave the bone-chilling weather and go for a run.

"What people don't realize is that they need to hydrate just like they would as if they were running in the summer," Nelson says. "When you can see your breath, that is water leaving the body so you need to make sure you have your water close to you at all times so it does not freeze, thus not doing any good."

In addition, make sure you cover your face, wear a few extra pairs of socks and don thick gloves.

"Just make sure when you are breathing that you breathe through the nose and out through the mouth and one thing that can help is a face mask that can be a buffer between your air and lungs," he says.

The workout blahs during winter are a vicious cycle. Skipping a few days of working out makes you more sedentary - and the more sedentary you are, the harder it is to get outside the next time.

"You are always going to sweat when you run, but the key is not have it touch your skin," Nelson says. "You need to sweat to cool the body because it creates detoxification, but if you get water on your skin and then the cold hits it, it will be difficult to get warm."

Make sure and check the wind chill calculator with the National Weather Service before you bundle up. If the wind chill is 10 degrees and you are running into it at 10 mph, to your body it feels like -3.5 degrees (see a windchill calculator at www.srh.noaa.gov/ssd/html/windchil.htm).

And don't forget the sunscreen. Recent studies show the glare from snow actually is stronger than most of the sun we get during the summer.

"Although you are burning more calories in the winter due to having to work harder to stay warm, you tend to have more motivation to go farther in the summer," Nelson says. "If you are running on a snowy terrain, you are working harder, you are using more resistance and have to flex your muscles to stay balanced, which causes more calories burned."

If running is too daunting, try sledding.

"Sledding is the best supplement to running because hills are fantastic ways to build conditioning and you are constantly sledding downhill and running uphill," he says.