Time for the warm up: a guide to winterproofing your workout kit

The big chill is coming but your outdoor exercise regime need not end
Sweaty Betty

Winter is coming, and for runners and cyclists this means upgrading your kit: combating the chill is priority number one but breathability is essential when you’re working up a sweat.

Cold-weather dressing is all about what lies beneath, and this season it’s all about that base (layer).

The best tops are technical: Lululemon’s Zoned In thermal top uses SenseKnit technology, which means varying levels of breathability are knitted seamlessly into the fabric, while adidas’s new Response Tee is made for running in chillier climes. Climacool technology maintains ventilation and reflective forearms keep you safe on dark nights. The tee fits close to the body and scores well on the eco-scale, too — it’s made with recycled polyester.

Adidas Response Tee, £29.95. Shop it here
adidas

Meanwhile, Nike has just launched its new AeroLoft Jacket, designed specifically for pounding the pavements on extra-cold nights. The lightweight jacket features Durable Water Repellency-coated feathers to prevent clumping when wet and the 800 down-filled baffles are placed on heat maps throughout the garment, meaning extra warmth where it’s needed most.

Nike Aeroloft Jacket (women's) £169.95. Shop it here
Nike

For a hybrid, try Saucony’s Bonded Baffle Jacket, which combines technical fleece on the sleeves and a more padded body to keep the heat in without restricting movement. Perfect for bitter, drizzly days.

Bonded Baffle Jacket, £72, Saucony. Shop it here
Saucony

Keeping your leg muscles warm is vital so don’t neglect the lower layers. Tribe Sports has a sweat-wicking thermal running tight made for putting in the miles on cold days, while 2XU’s new winter collection includes a pair of running leggings that combine thermal material with compression technology. They’re reflective too, so you’ll be seen on the roads.

Leggings, £90, 2XU. Shop them here
2XU

Sweaty Betty has a full set: the new winter 2018 collection features three different base-layer sets of matching tops and leggings for staying (and looking) hot in the cold.

Top, £65 and leggings, £65. Sweaty Betty. Shop them here
Sweaty Betty

Choose from a festival star print to a retro Union Jack design inspired by the winter Olympics.

Top, £65 and leggings, £65. Sweaty Betty. Shop them here
Sweaty Betty

The wind picks up when you’re cycling so dhb’s Classic FLT Thermal Softshell will keep the cold out. Soft, fleecy Roubaix fabric is combined with a windproof outer membrane to stop you cooling down, and the elasticated cuffs are another defence against wind-chill.

DHB Classic FLT Thermal Softshell Jacket, £67.50. Shop it here
DHB

It features a smart Flashlight Technology to keep you seen on the roads, while Proviz, the king of reflective cycling gear, has a more technical version of its original jacket, the Reflect360 Plus, designed to regulate your body heat even better. It uses a lighter-weight material, and a more tailored fit means it’s closer to your skin to retain your body’s natural heat, hence the thermal principle.

Reflect 360+ jacket, £109.99, Proviz. Shop it here
Reflect 360

On really cold days, pair with Proviz’s new thermal arm- and leg-warmers which use a high-tech, moisture-wicking fabric to give you extra protection, stopping you losing heat through your wrists and ankles.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in