Guidelines for Exercising in the Cold

DOWNLOAD GUIDELINES FOR EXERCISING IN THE COLD 

Athletic Trainers spend a lot of time writing and reviewing policies to keep the people they work with safe. The ones we all focus on include Emergency Action Plans, Catastrophic Injury Plans, Anaphylaxis, Active Shooter, Heat Acclimatization.

But what about guidelines for exercising in the cold? 

Yup, the often overlooked, returning to outdoor sports kind of guidelines. 

Developing tournament and practice guidelines for your athletes participating in cold, wet, and windy conditions can mitigate risks associated with cold-related injuries. Your body regulates its core temperature by limiting blood flow to limbs in cold weather. This causes your muscles to work less efficiently and puts you at a greater risk for strains and sprains.

With spring sports already fighting to get field time and outdoor reps, it is important to make sure these policies are implemented, reviewed with administrative and coaching staff, and followed!

Need to create or update your cold-weather guidelines? The ATs at Go4 put together an example using guidelines established by the NATA in their Position Statement, “Environmental Cold Injuries.”

To review the complete NATA position statement on environmental cold injuries, CLICK HERE

Check out more of our Cold Weather Tips

Get the free guide to exercising in the cold: Download it here!