Australian winter training has a specific problem: it's 8°C when you leave the house and you're overheating fifteen minutes into the session. Dressing for one of those and not the other is why winter workouts feel harder than they need to.
The answer is layering that comes off easily.
Layer one: the base
Your base layer sits against the skin and its only job is to move sweat away from your body. This is where cotton fails badly in winter — it absorbs sweat and holds it, and wet cotton against your skin in cold air is genuinely miserable.
Use a synthetic. A fitted tee, tank or sports bra in a nylon or polyester blend will keep you dry through the warm-up and stay comfortable once you're working.
Layer two: the warmth
This is the layer you'll take off. It needs to be warm enough for the walk in and easy to remove without pulling your base layer around with it.
Fleece is the obvious choice — our oversize fleeced hoodie and vintage wash fleece sweatshirt are both heavy enough for a cold morning without being so bulky you can't fit them in a bag afterwards.
A full-zip is easier to remove mid-session than a pullover. If you run hot, that's worth prioritising.
Layer three: bottoms
Winter is where full-length leggings and joggers earn their place. Bare legs in a cold gym mean a longer, less effective warm-up and a higher injury risk on the first heavy set.
For indoor training, leggings or joggers are enough. For outdoor running in a cold Australian morning, leggings under shorts is the standard combination for a reason — it adds a wind barrier over the hips and quads without much extra weight.
Don't forget the warm-up
Cold muscles are less elastic and more prone to strain. In winter, extend your warm-up by five minutes and keep your outer layer on for it. Take it off once you've broken a light sweat, not before.
This is the single most useful winter training habit, and it costs nothing.
The extremities
You lose a surprising amount of heat through your head and hands on an outdoor session. A beanie and light gloves for the first ten minutes of a winter run make far more difference than a heavier jacket.
Dress for fifteen minutes in
The rule experienced runners use: dress for how you'll feel fifteen minutes into the session, not how you feel standing at the front door.
If you're perfectly comfortable when you step outside, you're overdressed. You should feel slightly cool at the start.
Winter kit checklist
- Synthetic base layer — never cotton
- Fleece mid-layer that's easy to remove
- Full-length leggings or joggers
- A bag you can stuff the mid-layer into
- A dry layer to change into afterwards, especially for outdoor sessions
The layer people forget
The change of clothes for afterwards. Sitting in sweat-soaked kit in a cold car is how a good session turns into feeling awful for the rest of the day. A spare tee in your bag takes no effort and makes a real difference.