With summer in the books, your outdoor workouts are likely to cool down—and soon become downright chilly. And as the seasons change, cold-weather joint pain is something you might find yourself experiencing either before or after those fall and winter workouts.
Joint pain is often a sign of injury or an underlying health condition. But cold-weather joint pain can be a totally different beast. For some people, cold weather brings on a particular low-level joint pain or achiness.
Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself after a December long run, or heard someone comment that the weather is “making their knees ache.” Here’s why the cooler weather might leave you aching.
What causes cold-weather joint pain?
There’s not a whole lot of research out there as to what’s behind this, but many people do experience cold-weather joint discomfort.
“Generalized joint pain, more specifically in the knees, is a common complaint that we hear during fall and winter seasons,” Lauren Farrell, M.S.P.T., a physical therapist and clinic director of Professional Physical Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey, tells SELF.
In fact, in a 2014 study of nearly 3,000 older people with osteoarthritis published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, two out of three believe that weather conditions affect their joint pain. Of those people, 30% report being sensitive only to the cold.
There’s a lack of research to explain why people feel cold-weather joint pain, Farrell says, but experts have a few theories. “The research suggests that in colder weather, the body will conserve heat, and it will send more of the blood to the organs in the center of the body, like the heart or the lungs,” Armin Tehrany, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and founder of Manhattan Orthopedic Care, tells SELF. “So when that happens, the arms, legs, shoulders, knee joints—those blood vessels will constrict,” he says. Less blood flow makes those areas colder and stiffer, which can cause discomfort and pain.
The other common theory is that “when it is cold and/or damp out, changes in barometric pressure can cause an inflammatory response in the joints,” Farrell says. “This response could lead to increased joint pain, due to changes in circulation and possible nerve fiber sensitivity.” However, there’s a lack of evidence to confirm or deny whether these responses are actually occurring in the body, she says.
Where do you feel cold-weather joint pain?
Cold-weather joint pain tends to be most common in your knees, hips, and ankles.
While it can happen in any part of the body, this cold-weather achiness is most common in weight-bearing joints—and the major joints that fall into this category are those lower-body ones. “This is especially true for the running population, where they tend to be spending longer periods of time exercising outside in the cold,” Farrell says.
How can you relieve cold-weather joint pain?
No matter the cause, many people experience winter stiffness and achiness. But there are some things you can do to make cool conditions bother your joints less often.
One important one? Make sure to fit in time for a proper warm-up before your outdoor cold-weather run or other workout, Jennifer Morgan, P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S., a sports physical therapist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF.
That means literally warming up your body with easy movement—like brisk walking—before you even get started with your specific warm-up, she says.
“This will help get the blood flowing through your body and to your muscles,” Morgan says.
After a few minutes of walking, you can get started with dynamic stretching movements, like high knees, butt kicks, or forward lunges, she says.
A proper warm-up and stretching routine will help keep everything more limber—which is important to prevent stiffness from turning into an injury.
“Joint pain alone doesn’t necessarily lead to injuries, but if the pain is caused by stiffness and you don’t address it and it gets worse, that can cause injury,” says Tehrany.
In general, for an activity like steady-state running, you want to warm up for at least five minutes (and possibly longer if you’re running outdoors) inside or outside, SELF reported previously.
And during your run, if you stop and take breaks, keep in mind that your joints and muscles may start to feel stiff as your body temperature lowers, so implement dynamic movement even during pauses in your run to keep yourself warm and limber.
How can you prevent cold-weather joint pain?
“After running it is also important to make sure you incorporate a proper cooldown, followed by stretching and foam rolling to decrease tightening in the muscles after exercising,” Farrell says. (Read on below for a quick stretching routine to try after your workout.)
And on extremely chilly days, consider taking your workout indoors if cold-weather joint pain is a big issue for you. Instead of hitting the snow-covered pavement, hop on the treadmill or another cardio machine (if you have access to one), or try this low-impact at-home cardio routine. If your body is signaling to you that certain running conditions are uncomfortable or even painful, listen to it.
This also goes for people with certain underlying health conditions that might make them especially vulnerable to body and/or joint pain in colder weather, such as people who have rheumatoid arthritis or Raynaud’s disease, which is a disorder involving the blood vessels that is often triggered by cold temperatures.
Of course, if you get into a good stretching and warm-up routine and still notice pain in your joints, talk to an orthopedist or physical therapist to make sure you’re not injured. “It is important to remember that pain is your body’s warning system, and you need to listen to it,” says Farrell. “Consistent joint pain could be the beginning signs of arthritis, and it is best to address it earlier on.”
Having joint pain or stiffness year-round—not just when the temps are low—is also a warning sign. “This could mean a structural problem in the knee cap or joint,” says Tehrany, and should be addressed by an expert.
5 Stretches to Try After a Cold-Weather Workout
Try this cooldown stretching routine from Morgan after a cold-weather run or other outdoor workout. Hold each static stretch, or perform each dynamic move, for at least 30 seconds.
1. Down Dog to Runner’s Lunge
Start in Downward Facing Dog, with your hands shoulder-width apart, butt lifted back and toward the ceiling, legs straight, arms extended, back flat, and your head in between your arms.
Bring your right foot forward outside your right hand. Your right knee should be bent in a deep runner’s lunge (making sure not to track over your toes). Briefly hold that position before bringing your right foot back and transitioning into a Downward Facing Dog. This is 1 rep.
Continue for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch sides.
2. Pigeon Pose
Sit on a mat and bring your right leg underneath your body, placing it in front of you with your shin parallel to the top of your mat.
Extend your left leg long behind you and rest the top of your foot on the mat.
Keep your right foot flexed and try to keep your left hip as close to the mat as you can. If it lifts off the floor, bring your right foot a little closer to your body. Keep your torso straight.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch sides.
3. Reclining Spinal Twist
Lie on your back and stretch your arms out to your sides. Bring your knees in toward your chest and then drop them over to one side, keeping your knees and hips in line with each other.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch sides.
4. Standing Calf Stretch
Stand in front of a wall with one leg straight behind you and the other in front of you, slightly bent.
Place your hands on the wall and push against it.
Keep your back leg straight, heel planted on the floor. You should feel this in the calf of your back leg.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch sides.
5. Standing Hamstring Stretch
Stand in a relaxed position with your hands at your sides, core engaged, and feet hip-width apart.
Step forward with your left foot, keeping your leg perfectly straight and flexing your foot so that only your heel rests on the floor. Bend your right knee slightly.
Hinge forward, bending at the hip. You should feel a stretch in your hamstring.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then switch sides.
Demoing the moves above are Shauna Harrison (photo 1); a Bay Area–based trainer, yogi, public health academic, advocate, and columnist for SELF; Jessica Rihal (photos 2, 3, and 5), a plus-size yoga instructor (200-HR) and a strong advocate of fitness/wellness for all bodies; and Stefanie Steel (photo 4), a fitness instructor.
Related:
12 Hacks That Will Make Cold-Weather Running Less Miserable
13 Running Jackets for Your Winter Workout
5 Post-Workout Stretches That Will Loosen Up Your Tight Muscles