The surprising benefits of exercising in winter

It’s only natural that in winter, many of us shy away from exercise because it requires us to strip off the thermal underwear, thick jerseys, coats, thick socks and boots.

Winter requires just a little bit more discipline, determination and a plan. In fact, the plan is the most important of the lot. If you don’t plan for moving in winter, you’ll blink and spring will be on your doorstep with you potentially a little bit out of shape and feeling sluggish.

However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Spring can come around and find you happier, more energetic and even fitter if you plan right.

Picture: iStock

So, winter is officially here. The way I look at it every year is that the season is only 90 days long or three months. So to keep myself moving, I simply choose one sporting event in June, July and August, get a buddy to sign up with me and together we work towards them. Simple.

Not only will the plan keep you moving but you will have a buddy that (hopefully) keeps you accountable.

One of the first things you need to make sure you have is warm but breathable winter training gear. You want clothes that are able to retain some warmth but also be able to wick away sweat from your body. You would want to avoid training in wet sweaty clothes for a long period because that is a recipe for disaster and a cause for sickness.

The truth is, training in the cold can be uncomfortable and it requires one to work at it and become accustomed to it. Even though we typically feel quite sluggish in winter, exercising in colder weather does have a few benefits.

Picture: iStock

Three benefits of training in winter

1. You could potentially burn more calories

Interestingly enough, your body actually burns slightly more calories in an attempt to warm itself up while it adapts to cold weather. Shivering has also been said to burn more energy, therefore burning a few calories.

This calorie burn is however often sabotaged by the comfort foods that we tend to consume in winter. So you might not even reap the benefits of the calorie burn if you are not opting for healthy food choices.

Picture: iStock

2. You’ll feel energised and happier

Just as in warmer weather, your body also releases and experiences the feel-good hormones that come with exercising. This will result in a happier more energetic you.

Endorphins are known to simply improve one’s mood and a lighter mood will definitely make it easier to deal with winter.

3. You learn the importance of warming up and cooling down

This is one element of exercise that many of us forget to do on a typical day. It’s easy to slip on running takkies and just head out for a run on a sunny day but in winter it takes longer to warm up and feel comfortable during a run.

To warm up before heading out for an outdoor run in winter, I sometimes grab my skipping rope and skip for a few minutes before heading out or I do some body weight exercises like jumping jacks, knee highs to get the blood flowing. The warmer you are, the lower the chance of injuring yourself.

Picture: iStock

Besides the fact that if you don’t hibernate in winter, spring will find you being a bouncy, energetic version of yourself. This will also be you literally working on your summer body throughout winter.

Many people catch a wake up on spring day when the layers need to come off and the lighter clothes are feeling a little snug. I call winter the yo-yo season because that’s when many of us yo-yo with our bodies.

If doing the yo-yo thing isn’t what you want, then find a winter fitness buddy and let’s keep moving!

Zulu is a qualified biokineticist and cofounder of PopUpGym. Follow her on Instagram: @letshego.zulu Twitter: @letshegom. Facebook: Letshego Zulu

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