Running has been the low-cost, low-risk workout of choice when the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic closed gyms across the country. Heading into the colder months this winter, running outdoors can be harder on the body. Avid runners are preparing themselves to keep moving this season, keeping warm and safe without sacrificing performance.

Heather A. Milton, MS, RCEP, CSCS, an exercise physiologist with the Running Lab at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center, recommends dynamic stretching to get your blood pumping, along with strength training to help your body withstand the strain of running on hard, possibly frozen surfaces.

“Give your body time to adjust because you’re building up strength, just as you would through a new weight lifting routine,” says Milton. “That may mean taking a day off after a long run on frozen concrete. You need to help the structures in your body grow strong enough to withstand that extra force.”

Layering your clothes, and wearing hats and gloves is also important to combat the chilly temperatures. Since the sun sets earlier in the day during the winter, consider running in the morning or at lunchtime, or wearing reflective or luminescent accessories.

Read more from The New York Times.