How to Breathe Easier While Running in the Cold
When the temperatures start to drop, many runners complain about discomfort and/or a burning sensation in their throats, and can occasionally experience coughing and wheezing when running outdoors. Runners are often nervous or fearful about cold air getting into their lungs.
The truth is that as you exercise and breathe in more cold air, it is immediately humidified and warmed up by cells in your trachea to match your body’s internal environment before it hits your lungs. With greater amounts of cold air being brought in that must be warmed and humidified as you exercise, the tracheal cells can become dehydrated and irritated, which explains the symptoms that one may feel.
There are several ways to deal with this issue:
Do a dynamic warm-up prior to your run. A dynamic warm-up is a series of exercises that hits most muscle groups and increases their internal temperature. Doing this type of warm-up prior to running in cold weather helps prepare the body for the task that is coming, warms you up and warms up the trachea, and gets the heart rate and respiratory rate up. Examples of some dynamic warm-up exercises are jumping jacks, leg swings, body- weight squats, lunges, arm circles, high knees, and butt kicks.
Stay hydrated during these cold months. The heaters and radiators in your home dry the air, which can also cause your mouth and trachea to become drier. In addition, because it is cold outside, you may not realize you’re sweating during workouts and becoming dehydrated. This loss of body water can make those cells in the trachea dehydrated and can lead to irritation. One idea is to carry a small handheld water bottle which you can use as you run and continue to hydrate throughout the day.
Make sure you are taking long, deep breaths. Shallow, quick breaths can lead to further drying out of the tracheal cells. Along those lines, breathing in through your nose instead of the mouth can also assist in humidifying the dry, cold air.
Wear a mask or other facial covering. Not only can a mask protect us from transmission of viruses, but masks can also act as a barrier between your trachea and the air and will help keep your face and throat warmer. Other face coverings such as a scarf might be helpful in preventing that dry or burning feeling in your throat when running in colder months.
Raise your aerobic capacity. People with improved aerobic capacities have been observed to experience these symptoms less often, as they are able to exercise at a lower relative intensity as they run, which makes it easier for them to warm and humidify the cold air that they are breathing in. Maintaining a high aerobic capacity is a year-round activity, which can be achieved by incorporating a low volume of high intensity interval running into your training program.
Consider seeing a doctor. If you continue to experience discomfort, along with difficulty catching your breath, you may want to visit your doctor as you might be dealing with exercise-induced asthma. People with a diagnosis of asthma are more likely to experience these symptoms, and can be prescribed medication to help combat them.
And don’t forget that getting in some easy miles this winter can help you come back stronger when the temperature starts to rise!