It is a cruel twist of fate that New Year's Day, the time of year when the greatest number of well-intentioned exercise-related commitments get made, coincides with that stretch of the calendar in which large swaths of the country spend most of their waking hours enveloped in a cold, grim, unforgiving darkness. Last week's winter solstice yielded a shade over nine hours of daylight in New York City, which meant that many of you both left and arrived at your homes in, at best, a dim twilight that made you feel like you had been dropped in a mediocre young-adult fantasy novel. (Do you live in Hawaii, the best state in our union? Good for you! Also, you and your 11-hour winter solstice can go to hell.)

Anyway! I mention all this because if your preferred workout time is early in the morning (the correct way) or sometime in the evening, the simple act of going for a jog quickly goes from invigorating physical activity to a terrifying exercise in dodging all types of pedestrian, bicycle, and/or automobile traffic. Fortunately, there exist plenty of options for making yourself a bit more visible to the wide world around you. Whichever one(s) you choose, though, keep in mind that this is a good time of year to give your black compression gear a rest.

Nathan Zephyr Fire 100 Hand Torch

Okay, if all you're looking for is some form of minimalist handheld light source, any old flashlight will probably do. But a proper running flashlight uses a handle more suited for the way your arms move when you run, and it projects the light downward to the ground in front of you, instead of up into the sky and/or your eyes.

$45, buy now at amazon.com

Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp

If you're not into the idea of carrying something throughout your workout, go hands-free with a headlamp. This one includes a red tail light in addition to the front-facing beam, and allows for on-the-fly adjustments between full and dim light. Also, it's impossible not to feel like a cave explorer on National Geographic when you wear it, which is a nice bonus.

$79.99, buy now at REI.com

2XU Reflect Compression Tights

Unless you're in Hawaii, it's probably too cold to run right now without a pair of tights. Check both the full-length compression and illumination boxes with this pair, which reflects any light sources you may encounter. (You can benefit from their headlamp.)

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$109.95, buy now at 2XU.com

Tuvizo Reflective Vest

If you're not currently in the market to replace your workout apparel, try a reflective vest. I use this one and particularly appreciate that its illumination pattern looks vaguely like the white trim on a Santa outfit. Festive!

13.99, buy now at amazon.com

Ollny Safety Lights for Runners

These little plastic horseshoe-shaped lights cling to the backs of your running shoes and, for those of you who fear change, are probably the least intrusive method of visibility enhancement on this list.

$11.99, buy now at amazon.com

Jay Willis is a staff writer at GQ covering news, law, and politics. Previously, he was an associate at law firms in Washington, D.C. and Seattle, where his practice focused on consumer financial services and environmental cleanup litigation. He studied social welfare at Berkeley and graduated from Harvard Law School... Read more