Stay warm during your winter run with these must-have accessories
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Although I’m usually an evening runner, I recently woke up early one morning to hit the pavement before work.
Shockingly, the hardest part of doing this wasn’t the painful sight of “6:30 AM” glowing red from my alarm clock, it was the stepping outside in shorts and a paper-thin running shirt to find that it’s absolutely freezing out there.
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With the return of cooler days it’s once more time to think about more layers for your athletic gear. Whether running, road hockey, pick-up basketball at a park court, or even just walking to the gym, shorts and a tee will officially no longer cut it.
Between casual running, gymming, boxing and other ways of keeping fit, I’m far from an elite athlete, so when looking for gear I’m not too concerned with reducing drag, compressing my muscles, or… you know… other elite things. Generally, I’m more concerned with what lets me move, keeps me comfortable, and looks good.
As the temperature starts dropping, here are some pieces that do exactly that:
Running Tights Time
Engage your inner super-hero with a nice set of Nike athletic tights. This is the one area where the construction of the piece should be given more consideration, as poorly designed tights can constrict movement, or worse, slide down at very inappropriate times.
Personally, I recommend finding a pair that you can just freely wear with no layer over top, honestly, once you get past the feeling of being pants-less, you’ll thank me for the liberation. However, if you don’t have Thor’s legs, there are versions with a built-in shorts layer.
Nike Men’s Thermal Repel Tights
SHOP IT: Sport Chek, $105
Stability 2-in-1 Athletic Tights
SHOP IT: Nordstrom, $76 CAD (Originally $108 CAD)
Zip Up Hoodies
Evening run or early morning, whether the light is low, or you see your breath …or both, you should probably be layering up if for nothing else than comfort.
Joe Fresh offers an awesome selection of high-quality men’s activewear at shockingly affordable prices. And this lightweight, thin but fleece-lined for unexpected warmth zip-up hoodie is the perfect example. Looking good, staying fit, keeping comfortable.
Joe Fresh Men’s Zip-up Hoodie
SHOP IT: Joe Fresh, $34
Long-Sleeved Tees
Again, the Joe Fresh selection is pretty good, so there is lots to look at here, but at the moment think about long-sleeved tees.
These fall days can be finicky, some are wonderfully warmer than others and sometimes there’s the unexpected snowfall, making layers and long-sleeve tees key. In cooler weather, a long-sleeve, moisture wicking tee can be your best friend.
Joe Fresh Men’s Moisture Wicking Long-sleeve tee
SHOP IT: Joe Fresh, $19
Vests and Running Jackets
A step up in price from Joe Fresh, but with some pretty nice designs and a great selection, is H&M’s men’s sportswear line.
What I really like here is the brand’s versatile pieces, like combining their lightweight, padded outdoor vest with a windproof running jacket. The variety in layering allows you to look sleek while being prepared for sudden changes in temperature.
H&M Padded Outdoor Vest
SHOP IT: H&M, $50
H&M Windproof Running Jacket
SHOP IT: H&M, $60
Hats, Gloves, and More
Call it athletic vanity but rolling out for an early morning run with blatant bed head that catches me a cold, doesn’t help with getting me in “beast-mode.” Similarly, trying to change a song with numb, frozen fingers puts a damper on things and takes you right out of the “zone.”
For that, be sure to also check out those smaller, but just as important needs, like athletic hats gloves and socks.
MCTi Winter Running Gloves
SHOP IT: Amazon, $16
Joe Fresh Men’s Fleece Hat
SHOP IT: Joe Fresh, $8
Lululemon T.H.E. Crew Sock
SHOP IT: Lululemon, $37 ($28 USD)
What’s on your list this holiday shopping season? Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA!
