While nowhere near the frigid temperatures out west, the weather in Montreal isn't exactly balmy these days.
But that's not stopping the city's devoted runners from enjoying the outdoors. In fact, many forms of exercise thrive during the colder months, from jogging and cycling to winter-specific activities like skating and skiing.
Exercising in winter weather comes with a few health risks, however.
Here are some tips and tricks on staying safe while you stay fit this winter.
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Protect your lungs
There's some debate on whether it's the coldness or dryness of the winter air that affects breathing.
What's for certain is that breathing can become more laboured when it's cold outside, especially for those with preexisting conditions like asthma.
"Regardless of whether it's the temperature or the lack of humidity in the air, the coldness, the dryness of it, can cause a certain degree of bronchospasm in the lungs, meaning your airways are going to constrict. And that will make it harder for you to exercise," Labos said regarding asthma sufferers specifically.
But really cold air can affect just about anyone to varying degrees, he added.
One helpful solution is to wear some kind of mouth covering while exercising, such as a mask or neck warmer that you can pull up onto your face.
"That's going to keep the air that you breathe in moister and warmer, and that will make the symptoms better," Labos explained.
For those who do have preexisting lung conditions, it's important to follow your treatment plan closely, he stressed.
Keep the skin covered
It might be tempting to peel off a few layers when you really get the blood pumping, even on the coldest days.
But exposed skin is always more susceptible to frost bite, Labos cautioned.
"Especially for the ears, the nose, the lips, you know, parts of the face that we usually have exposed to cold air, you may not realize how cold it is and how much damage you're actually doing to your tissue by exposing it to subzero temperatures," the doctor explained.
So, no matter how much you sweat, it's a good idea to keep your ears covered.
Watch out for ice
Winter's biggest, sneakiest danger of all? Ice.
"The more benign thing that we often forget about is that when it gets snowy and cold like this, the roads get slippery and people fall a lot," said Labos.
"One of the biggest problems we see are the musculoskeletal injuries, people throwing out their backs slipping, breaking hips, you know, spreading their knees, stuff like that. So in winter months, the difficulty of running outside is not just the cold but also the fact that in many circumstances, the sidewalks aren't clear. There might be ice or snow, and you could fall and hurt yourself."
If your usual running path is coated in ice, it might be a good day to stick to the treadmill, find a new route, or slow down and pay extra attention to where you step.
