Tuesday Twirls: Workout Layers

As if telling people that I work out in the mornings before work isn’t bad enough add in that I work out outside before work and people look at me like I’m a crazy person.  Well we all have to find what works for us and I actually love starting my day off on the right foot and believe me, at 5:30 a.m. I have to tell myself that about 5 times before actually getting out of bed.

Winter is such a tough time of the year to workout in the first place so having a group of people to hold me accountable (and to suffer in the snow and rain with) is definitely key to my morning workout success.  But the true key of actually enjoying your cold morning workout is dressing properly.

The rule of thumb when dressing for a hard outdoor workout or run is to dress for 20 degrees warmer so I always keep that in mind. Here’s a step by step of my standard workout layers for my morning workouts.

Start with a base layer of all sweat wicking material. I usually go for lululemon wunder unders because they’re thick and a lululemon or under armor top.

Add a thicker second layer.  I usually go for a fleece, this one is Nike, here’s a similar option.

Gloves and ear protection are small but huge “musts” for braving the wind and cold! I like these thick North Face gloves because they keep my hands warm while doing push ups on the frozen ground and this Nike headband/earwarmer stays in place, keeps my ears warm and wicks the sweat away from my face.  (Accessories are always important!! 😉 )

As crazy as it seems these minimal layers keep me warm in even below freezing temperatures for my morning workouts! Who’s with me? Anyone else braving the cold temps for an outdoor workout this winter?