Hi. My name is Gary Ditsch and I'm the Lead Exercise Physiologist at Retrofit. Fall is here and winter is coming. What that means for those of us who like to get outdoors and exercise is that we're dealing with cool temperatures now. They're going to get cooler and eventually we're going to have to deal with the cold.

So what I wanted to do is share just some ideas on how to be prepared with your gear so that when the cold temperatures come, you're ready and can have an enjoyable experience. The best tip that I have for people is that they want to start with the base layer and make sure that it's breathable and comfortable.

As the temperatures get colder and colder, from that base layer you can add additional layers, but it is that base layer that really helps make the whole gear and outfit choice work out. So this time of year, it's not that cold. Well, what I do is I start to add it from my base layer, just a Lycra top that's a short sleeve. That allows me to stay warm, but I don't necessarily overheat.

Then I progress that base layer as it gets colder. For instance, it gets a little bit colder I have the same material. I just add a long sleeve to the outfit. Now, eventually it's going to get much colder, and so I'm going to have to add an additional layer. I always continue to wear the Lycra tops as the very base layer. Then to that, I'll add another top that's a pretty light cotton and polyester mix. It's a running top. It's a long sleeve. It breathes really well, but it also adds just another layer of warmth to the gear choice that I'm making.

Eventually, it gets really cold and I have to start doing more than just adding layers to my torso. So then I'll start adding a base layer to my lower body, and I just do the same thing that I do with my top. I like to use just a long running Lycra pant. On top of that, I'm always wearing just normal running gear. Eventually when it gets really cold, that's just like the sweatshirt top, a long running pant, and things like that.

But making sure that the base layer is both breathable and comfortable is the most important factor as you continue to move throughout the winter and it gets colder and colder. Now, we know that keeping the torso warm is important, but we also know that keeping our extremities warm is actually one of the more difficult things. One of the best tips I have for people is that for the hands that you go with a running mitt.

I used to always use just gloves with the fingers, and what I found was that keeping my hands warm, even if I had a really nice glove, my fingers separated actually was hard to keep warm. The running mitt has been a savior for my being outdoors the last few years. Even when I'm on the bicycle I wear a mitt. In the winter it's really nice. So my suggestion is, if you're looking for gloves or something to keep your hands warm that you go with a mitt style of glove.

The other thing is keeping your ears warm. This time of year it's not so bad because it's not so cold, so we don't want to trap the heat into our head. We want to be able to allow some heat to escape. That's why going with just an ear warmer is the way to go. But eventually it's going to get pretty cold. You want to not only keep your ears warm, but you're wanting to keep the heat in. So I just go to a full cotton regular stocking hat.

I hope that you see that it's important that you move from your base layer being the most important, and as it gets colder you just add breathable material, but you add layers onto it. You don't necessarily look for that just one piece of clothing or gear that's going to help keep you warm. Adding layers allows you to adjust to the temperature, at a pretty fine level that will make your experience much better.

I hope you picked up something out of these tips that I had for you. If you have any questions, just leave it in the comments below.