THIS Is Why Your Nose Won’t Stop Running During Winter Workouts
With the proper gear and the right attitude, wintertime running can be magical. What’s not magical: the free-flowing fountain of snot that typically accompanies these workouts. Luckily, there are several things you can do before, during, and after a run to aid your sniffling sniffer.
But first, some background on exactly why this happens: The membranes in our nasal passages help humidify air as it enters, explains Clifford Stark, an osteopathic physician specializing in sports medicine. In the winter, the air is colder and drier than summer months, so the nose has to work doubly hard at humidifying. Exercising exacerbates the issue, since heavier breathing dramatically increases exposure to the cold, dry air. The result? Your schnoz goes into overdrive trying to provide enough moisture and thus dumps extra mucus (in sometimes a seemingly endless supply). Here are Stark’s—and three other experts’—tips for navigating these sticky situations.