Cold Weather Warm-Ups

It’s great to stay active all year long. But in cold weather, when muscles are more likely to be tight, a good warm-up is especially important before exercising.

Lynn Millar, Ph.D., a physical therapist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, says it’s best to ease in slowly.

"If you’re just going for a walk, the walk will warm you up by itself," she explains. "But for more vigorous activities such as cross-country skiing, you’ll want to stretch and warm up first."

Millar suggests beginning with basic stretching exercises. Then, move on to some dynamic stretching that mirrors the activity you’re about to engage in and progressively increase the speed and range of motion.

"Active stretching gets the blood flowing," she says. "And stretching right before you go outside isn’t the only good time to stretch—make it part of your regular routine to improve your overall flexibility."