Are you wondering, “is it safe to run in the rain?”

Is it actually safe to run when it’s raining, or are you actually putting yourself (or others) in danger?

Let’s settle this once and for all!

Is it smart to run while it’s raining?

As long as there are no thunderstorms or other extreme weather conditions, such as freezing temperatures or downpouring rain, running in the rain is relatively safe.

In fact, it’s a light rain without any thunder or strong wind.

Running under such conditions may feel therapeutic.

Will I get a cold?

In contrast to popular belief, running in the rain by itself won’t make you sick.

The reason so many people get sick during the cold months is not because of the cold itself, but it’s due to spending more time indoors, which increases your risks of catching up with a virus.

However, keeping your body temperature low by running in the cold may make you more susceptible to catching up with a virus, therefore, getting sick.

You’ll , of course, want to choose light and moisture-wicking layers to help you easily regulate your body temperature and the right shoes.

I’ve got a whole article about how to run in the rain right here and it goes deep on gear prep!

Benefits of Running in The Rain

Real talk: you’re missing out on a lot of benefits if you only run in ideal conditions.

Here are a couple of my favorite benefits of running in the rain:

Burn More Calories

Research shows running in the rain actually burns more calories!

Can I get a “heccccck yeah?!”

A study out of the International Journal of Sports Medicine reported that subjects who run in rainy conditions exerted more energy than when they rain in non-rainy conditions.

One reason for the extra calories might be the temperature.

When it’s raining, the temperature drops, forcing your body to get colder.

As a response, your body has to use up more energy to get and stay warmed up!

Reduce Stress

If you have experienced the soothing relief of raindrops in the middle of a challenging run, then you how mood-uplifting and transformative running in the rain can be.

It’s important we change our mindset about the rain to have this type of response, though.

Quite simply, if we think “this will be soothing“- it will be. “This is annoying“, on the other hand, will yield a different result.

Let’s connect

Don’t let the rain drown your running plan.

The most challenging part of running in the rain is the first step. Once you get started and are out there, you may actually start to enjoy it.

I’d love to hear what’s working for you. Drop me an audio note to tell me!

When I’m not recording the podcast, hanging on the beach with my Husband and four kids, I’m over here: