It may be cold outside this winter, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t play football. You just need to prepare for the game more carefully than you might need to in the summer. Here are six tips for playing football in cold weather.
Layers
Wearing a lot of layers is the way to go in cold weather. Wrap up in several layers and you can always take them off if you get too hot. Layers won’t slow you down too much either. Make sure that the layers you are wearing are thin rather than wearing thick ones as these will affect your game and may get heavier to wear if there is rain or a snowstorm.
Hands and Feet
If your hands and feet are cold, there is a good chance that the rest of you will be too. Protect your hands by wearing gloves to play ball or using chemical hand warmers. These will help you to stay warm and stop your hands from getting chapped in cold weather which can feel painful. Wear thick socks or two pairs of socks to protect your feet and stop them from getting cold. Make sure your boots are waterproof too as, if your feet get wet, they are likely to get cold and your socks won’t be able to protect you. You are also likely to ruin your boots in wet weather if they are not waterproof.
Keep Warm Off the Field
While you are not on the football field, you should make sure you are wrapped up warm. This can include a hat and a thick coat. Don’t forget that you need to keep stretching if you are likely to go back on the field as it is easier to tear cold muscles and you will feel the cold quickly in a low temperature.
Keep Moving
Move around as much as possible and this will help to warm you up. You should pay particular attention to your warming-up exercises at the beginning of a game. You may be able to go easy on these in the summer, but you should aim to do a further 5-10 minutes of warming up in cold weather to prevent injury and help you maximise your time on the field. Once you are playing, move around as much as you can. You will find that the extra adrenaline will keep you warm and focused.
Stay Hydrated
It is always important to stay hydrated during exercise, but this becomes more so in cold weather as dehydration can accelerate heat loss in cold weather. This can also affect your performance, so it is important to drink enough water if you want to win the game.
Play Inside
While there will be times when it is just too cold or icy to play football, it is also possible to move the game inside. This may not be possible in a big match but, if you are practising, many skills can be perfected indoors which means that you don’t have to miss out entirely.
Use these six tips to help you play football in cold weather and you will never have to miss out on your favourite form of exercise in wintertime.