How not to freeze when you’re exercising outdoors – the leggings, top and gloves you need .

The alarm goes off. Your eyes snap open. You yank open the curtains with vim and vigour, and drink in the glorious midnight grey of the late winter sky. You’ve slept wonderfully, had fantastic dreams, and can think of nothing you’d rather do than leap outside, immediately, and run a swift 10k lap of your local environs. Hurrah for exercise!

The above scenario, of course, is nothing but a witless fantasy. It’s horrible out there at the moment, especially before 8.00am, and if you want to succeed in keeping up your fitness regime this month, it’s not bright-eyed optimism you need, but ruthless determination. And the right kit of course. Thankfully, these days, there are plenty of options, clothing-wise, when it comes to running in adverse conditions. Scroll down for a few of our favourites, and consider yourself fully armoured in all your upcoming battles against the elements.

Yes, you will heat up a little once you get going on your run, but if you’re only wearing a T-shirt, you’ll probably also catch pneumonia. Do the sensible thing and invest in a thermal top, like the above example from outdoor expert Patagonia. It will not only keep you toasty – it’s got thumb holes at the end of the sleeves (so they don’t ride up when you’re running) and a pocket to stow your keys and phone on the chest (where they won’t rattle around so much). Underneath, opt for a T-shirt from Tracksmith. This one is a particularly good running base layer as it’s designed to be worn and washed again and again, without completely collapsing.

Whether or not you’re completely on board with the sleek cyborg aesthetic that has come to dominate the fitness arena in the past few years, on your run you will appreciate the warmth provided by a pair of compression leggings. Try these from specialist brand 2XU, which come enhanced with breathable membranes in the front panels that are wind- and water-resistant. Not only that, they are sweat-wicking, flat-seamed (and so won’t chafe) and also offer graduated compression on your muscles, which will help you warm up and cool down. Enjoy their benefits, but also protect your modesty by pulling a pair of Iffley Road shorts on top.

Anyone who has embarked upon a long winter run only to have their hands turn into painful ice blocks will know that gloves are an essential part of the whole thing. This pair from 2XU do everything you would expect them to, with their sweat-wicking fabric and touchscreen ready panels on the fingers. But they also have a neat pocket on the palm – a great place to store your keys or some spare change for a post-run snack. As for shoes, it really depends on how you run, but for cold, dark winter mornings we would recommend Athletic Propulsion Lab’s Prism mesh sneakers – these come with reflective tape all around the upper, which should hopefully prevent you from getting run over in the gloom by angry commuters.

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