Cold weather running injuries are something we see every winter at the clinic. On darker, colder evenings, it is tempting to lace up your running shoes and head straight out of the door, often going from a warm house, to fast run within minutes.
Unfortunately, this is one of the most common reasons runners end up with muscle strains, tight calves, or sudden pulls. So why are running injuries more common in cold weather, and what can you do to prevent them?
Why are running injuries more prevalent in cold weather?
So what is going on here? Why are we more likely to pull a muscle when it is cold? Your muscles are a bit like an elastic band. When they are cold they are stiffer, less flexible, and more likely to fail under load. When they are warm, they are more pliable and better able to absorb and adapt to the forces of running. Running injuries are therefore more likely to occur when your muscles are cold.
Cold muscles:
- Stretch less
- React slower
- Tolerate less sudden load
This makes muscle strains, calf pulls, hamstring injuries, and Achilles problems far more likely during winter runs.
Why Just Leaving a Warm House Isn’t Enough
Muscles don’t warm up simply because the air temperature changes, so just coming out from a warm house won’t necessarily stop you pulling a muscle. It is blood flow that warms muscles and helps them move more flexibly.
Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue, allowing muscles to contract efficiently and tolerate impact. Without gradually increasing blood flow, muscles remain cold even if you feel warm overall.
That’s why a proper warm-up is essential before running, especially in winter. There are several stages of warm up that get the blood flowing, and the joints and muscles ready for the impact of running.
The Stages of a Proper Running Warm Up
As we often say in clinic. “If your neighbour were to watch you go out for a run, they should never see you actually running.” The start and end of the run involves walking not running.
Stage 1: Gentle Walking
Start with a slow walk. The colder it is, the gentler this needs to be. Giving the heart time to start pumping blood around to the muscles and getting the fluid in to warm the joints.
Focus on:
- Rolling from heel to toe, large ankle movements.
- Allowing ankles and hips to move freely
- Swinging your arms to encourage circulation
Stage 2: Brisk Walking
Gradually increase your walking pace to raise your heart rate. As you raise your heart rate, you increase the amount of blood flowing to the muscles.
This will help the synovial fluid around the joints to become more viscous and allow smooth movement within the ankle, knee and hips. Swinging the arms gets the torso rotating, helping the lower back and pelvis warm up.
Stage 2 helps:
- Warm the muscles
- Improve joint lubrication
- Gently rotate the pelvis and spine
Stage 3: Dynamic Movement (Optional)
If you want to do some ballistic stretching, this would be the time. You are warmer and blood is flowing, so your joints and muscles are better prepared to move through a greater range safely.
Stage 4: Easy Jog
At this stage the aim is a slow jog. The stride length needs to be shorter than for walking, putting more force through the arch of the foot and away from the heel bone. Aim to keep it slow and steady, you aren’t warm yet.
Keep:
- Shorter stride length
- Controlled pace
- Relaxed posture
- You’re still warming up, this is not your training pace.
Stage 5: Normal Running Pace
Once your legs feel warm and the joints are moving easily, so everything feels fluid and effortless, you can build up to your usual running pace.
Spending 5 minutes, working through these stages of warm up dramatically reduces the risk of winter running injuries.
What about after the run?
Cooling down is just as important When you are running, your heart is pumping blood around the body at a vast pace.
Stopping abruptly leaves your heart still pumping blood at a high rate, as it doesn’t know to lower the volume of blood it is sending to the muscles. Ideally we want to finish the planned run by slowing down.
- Gradually slow your run
- Transition into a fast walk
- Then into a slower walk
- Allow heart rate to return toward resting levels
Once your heart rate has lowered to a resting level, but you are still warm, gentle static stretching is important to help limit muscle stiffness. Post running stretching is designed to return the muscles to their pre running length. Ideally hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds.
Muscles to stretch include:
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Glutes
- Lower back
As we often joke, all you neighbour should see is you walking away from your house slowly and calmly; and returning to your house walking slowly and not being out of breath. They will wonder why you put your running kit on just to go for a walk! 🤣
If you’re struggling with winter running injuries, recurring muscle strains, or want help improving your warm-up, running gait, or training structure, we’re happy to help. Give us a call, or book in for our specialist running sessions.