Alfred Wainwright wrote in his book A Coast to Coast Walk, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing." Perhaps no one knows this better than winter athletes. Not only do they need to perform their sport at the highest level, but they also need to account for cold temperatures, snow, rain, and wind. But even a casual skier, snowboarder, or winter weather hiker knows that your session can be cut short if your clothing isn't keeping up with you — and it all starts with a base layer.
What's A Base Layer?
A base layer is the first layer of clothing you put on, meaning it's touching your skin — and it's just as important as hitting the mountain in a winter coat, gloves, and a hat. Base layers work to regulate your body temperature by keeping heat in and wicking sweat from the skin, helping to keep you dry, which translates to warm and happy during any winter weather activity. Base layers include tops with either long or short sleeves and tights for your legs.
Importance of Winter Compression Tights
Compression tights are a vital part of any athlete's wardrobe, especially during winter activities when they can serve as a base layer. Compared to leggings, sweats, or other pants, compression tights serve a variety of purposes, from moisture-wicking to keep your skin sweat-free, insulation to keep you warm, all-day comfort with material designed to prevent chafing, UV protection, and compression to keep your muscles and joints supported during even the most grueling activities.
Choosing Your Ski Base Layer: What to Look For?
If you're hitting the slopes this winter, you need to be prepared with the right equipment, including compression gear such as tights as your base layer. While there are numerous options on the market, they're not all built the same. Here are a few things to keep in mind while looking for winter compression tights.
Material & Insulation
You'll want to look for material that will keep you warm with moisture-wicking capabilities. Unlike a typical pair of joggers or sweatpants, CW-X’s ski leggings are crafted for compression and temperature control. Made of WarmStretch™ temperature-regulation fabric, these tights keep your muscles compressed for extra warmth without overheating.
Breathability
Unlike wool or other fabrics, you'll want compression tights that are breathable with moisture-wicking fabric to keep your skin dry (and therefore warm) even when sweating due to performance such as CW-X's range of tights.
Comfort
You'll want to find compression leggings that prioritize the right fit and comfort features so you only stop your workout or activity when you're ready. In addition to its breathable material, CW-X tights feature an elastic waistband with an interior drawcord for a secure fit that will last as long as you do on the slopes.
The Science Behind Winter Compression Tights
In addition to keeping you warm, compression gear's tight fit offers support to muscles and joints during any high-endurance activity. The CW-X ski tights feature a patented EXO-WEB support panel that maps muscles and joints to provide stability without restricting the range of motion, combining compression with the benefits of kinesiology tape used by trainers.
Muscle Support
Researchers believe that compression gear may reduce muscle vibrations, resulting in improved muscle control. Compression gear is structurally designed to enhance blood circulation and oxygenation, reducing muscle fatigue and distress that comes with intense exercise.
Injury Prevention
From sleeves to socks, compression apparel can also play a role in preventing injuries by helping to improve blood flow and encouraging fluid movement in the body means getting rid of waste products from exercise. Therefore, muscles will get more oxygen and recover more quickly.
Improved Recovery
The tight fit of compression gear — clothing should be snug without cutting off circulation, and you should feel like you have a full range of motion — helps improve blood flow. That means it fights off lactic acid that builds up during exercise and the resulting soreness, meaning you'll be ready for another run more quickly.
Care and Maintenance Tips
To ensure that your ski compression tights and other compression gear continue to work their best, follow the instructions provided for washing and drying your garments. CW-X products can be machine-washed and hung to dry between sweat sessions.
Skiers, snowboarders, outdoor runners, ice skaters, bobsledders, lugers, and other cold-weather athletes need reliable apparel to keep their bodies in top shape during both training and competition. Compression gear is a vital part of any athlete's closet, especially when pushing through extreme activities in the harshest weather conditions that come with winter sports.
Only CW-X has a range of products featuring patented EXO-WEB technology, which mimics kinesiology-taping techniques that trainers apply to injured muscles. When this technology is applied to muscles and joints, it creates an exoskeletal support system that improves biomechanics while in motion. When it comes to cold weather compression gear, their compression tights for men and women featuring WarmStretch temperature-regulation and breathable fabric help maintain a constant comfortable surface temperature in a variety of conditions — a must-have for the winter athlete.