Buy One, Get One 50% Off All BBcom Signature with code BOGO50 | SHOP NOW

The Top 3 Essential Pre-Run Habits For Cold Mornings

Stay Warm, Fueled, and Ready to Run

January 23, 2025

Having a good pre-run routine is great for runners of all ages and abilities, though weather and seasons tend to impact how you structure the time leading up to activity. In colder months, you may need to spend more time warming up your joints and muscles, ensuring your body is primed prior to its exposure to cold temperatures. A common mistake novice runners often make is not adequately fueling or hydrating prior to sessions. Just because the temps have dropped, doesn’t mean nutrition efforts drop with them.

The type of running you’re doing and your experience level should guide you in your pre-run routine. It’s important to listen to your body and gain an understanding of your personal preferences when creating your pre-run routine. We’ve listed out 3 important things to include if you’re trying to find your groove.

Hydrating

One of the biggest reasons that runners bonk when running in the cold months is because of neglecting hydration. Hydration is a key component of sports nutrition and just because you don’t feel hot or like you are dumping buckets of sweat during your run does not mean you don’t need to hydrate pre and post-run.

If you’re having a hard time drinking cold water during the cold months then you can swap this out for warm drinks like tea and coffee. Yes, these drinks have caffeine (which can serve as a pre-workout supplement) but yes they will still hydrate you as well. There are also some hydration products that can be served warm and research shows there are many benefits to drinking warm fluids (1).

If you’re heading out for a cold morning run, aim to consume 16-20 oz of fluid prior. You can consume all warm drinks of a combination such as 12 oz of coffee and 8 oz of water. Not only will warm liquids hydrate you, but they can also help to bring your body temperature up slightly prior to going out into cool temperature which means you can put less energy into keeping your body at the correct temperature and more energy into your run (2).

Preparing Gear

An important part of a pre-run routine involves gathering your gear. It’s a great idea to get your gear gathered so that you don’t forget anything important. This is true for both cold and hot runs. Being able to maintain a comfortable body temperature can impact performance so you want to make sure you’re prepared.

For a cold morning run you will want to make sure you gather all items that you know keep you warm such as gloves, a hat or headband, and a windbreaker or another appropriate type of jacket. Temperature and personal preference should play a role in your gear choices but it’s important to keep your hands and head at comfortable temperatures so your body doesn’t have to put in extra effort (such as shivering) to maintain your body’s heat balance. Aim for clothing with good thermal insulation as well as wind resistance and moisture-wicking abilities as these things will help you maintain the appropriate body temperature (3). Though we’d be lying if we didn’t enjoy a nod to Rocky Balboa and sometimes sport a cotton sweatsuit on cold winter mornings.

Warm-up

Another important step in your pre-run routine for cold mornings is the physical warm-up. Engaging in dynamic movements before a run helps to increase the adaptability in your muscles and tendons as well as stimulate blood flow so that your body temperature increases and so does your ability to engage in free and coordinated movement (4). While stretching is helpful, it’s ideal for runners to warm up in a way that can bring up body temperature. Doing a combination of both is ideal. Learn more about movement-specific warmups in the Bodybuilding.com app.

Here is a short pre-run warm-up:

10 M of straight-legged band walks (down and back, forward & backward)
10 M of sideways straight-legged band walks (each side)
10 M of squat band walks (down and back, forward & backward)
10 M of sideways squat band walks (each side)
60 M of high knees (down and back)
60 M of grapevine (down and back)
60 M of butt kickers (down and back)
60 M forward & backward stride
3-5 minutes jog before speed/track workouts
10 per side leg swings (front & back)
10 per side leg swings (cross-body, side to side)

Get Running

The more experienced you become with running the more you will understand what your body needs and how those needs vary in different temperatures and at different fitness levels. For now start your cold morning runs by hydrating, preparing the appropriate gear, and warming up your muscles. Remember, everybody is different. Take the time to understand what makes you perform optimally to see the best results. Stay warm, stay fueled, stay fit.