During the winter, daylight hours become shortened, leaving the room to exercise in bright sunshine to a narrow window. If you work during daylight hours, then your only chance for exercise is when it gets dark.

Although you can perform the exact same routine as you normally do, it does come with some added dangers. Being visible while working out in the dark should be one of your main priorities.

Just because it’s getting dark, doesn’t mean you should stop heading out for your run or other activity. All it means is that you should take an extra minute in preparation to consider your safety. Here are key things you can do to ensure you’re still safe while working out in the hours of darkness.

Carry Lights

As well as traffic struggling to see you at night time, it can also get pretty tricky for you to see objects and tripping hazards around you. Ensuring that you’ve always got a source of light on you will mean that you’re well seen by vehicles and you’ll not be tripping over everything, causing a nasty injury.

Switch the Sound Off

As motivating as it can be to run with music on, sometimes it is best to be fully aware of your surroundings. We don’t want to put you off running in the dark, if a threatening situation does arise, you’ll be less of a target and hear it coming better if you’re unplugged.

Choose a Running Partner

Having a buddy to run along with you also decreases the likelihood of anything bad from happening. As well as putting of a would-be attacker, it’s someone else to be able to look out and hear for danger.

Run Facing Traffic

If you have to run on the road, always run facing the traffic. This way, you’ll be able to see oncoming cars and react accordingly if one is heading towards you. If you’ve got your back to the traffic, you’ll have no idea if any cars are approaching you.

Always Carry a Phone

This goes for both daytime and night running. Cell phones are incredibly useful for all sorts of problems, like falling over and injuring yourself. Furthermore, you can potentially help someone else if they’re in trouble. Yes, it can be tempting to go light and not take much, but a cell phone should always be on you.

Wear Reflective Clothing

As well as carrying a light (or wearing one) you’ll stand out much better if you’re wearing something reflective. This could simply be a high-vis jackets, or reflective stripes on your jackets. The lights of cars will help drivers see you.

Pick Your Route in Advance

What is a simple run in the day time might actually become a really tricky one in the darkness. Try to choose well-lit areas without objects that you can potentially fall over.