10 Reasons You Should Work Out In Winter

10 Reasons You Should Work Out In Winter. When it is cold like this working out might be the last thing on your mind. All you want is to snuggle up in a couch next to a heater. You might have never thought of it but exercising in winter is beneficial. Not only is it fun, it is also good for your health.

1. To Keep Warm

You can heat your body up naturally with a workout. The rise in your body temperature, during a work out, has a soothing, calming effect on your body, not unlike a long soak in a warm bath or lying in front of the heater. Yes, its cold when you first step outside, but if you layer up and get moving you will be hot within no time at all.

2. It Gives You Extra Energy

It may not be easyy dragging yourself out from under the duvet pre-sunrise. Do not despair though,  working out does give you more energy in the long run. Sedentary people who start moving experience a dramatic drop in fatigue, meaning your early morning Pilates can help banish that overwhelming sense of knackeredness when the 6am alarm starts blaring.

3. The Sun Is Better Than Your Heater

Sunshine makes strong bones, and keeps your immune system strong. It can also boost positivity, help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. During summer a short exposure of 10-15 minutes is plenty, but in winter, sunshine can be harder to come by, especially if you are snuggled up indoors. So that’s why its VERY important to get outside and get moving and smile at the sun!

4. Stay Healthy

Regular exercise strengthens your immune system so it can fight off bacterial and viral infections. This becomes particularly important in winter when colds and flu rear their ugly heads. When you exercise and get your blood pumping, immune cells circulate through your body more quickly helping them seek and destroy infections.

5. You Burn More Calories

You actually burn more calories just by being chilly in the first place. It’s not enough to make a massive difference so you can’t just stand outside shivering and count that as a workout. Your body has to work harder in the cold to get you up to a stable temperature, meaning it’s giving itself a mini workout before you even tie up your laces.

6. Beat The Winter Blues

Whether it’s the usual winter blues or the more serious seasonal affective disorder putting a gloom over the colder months. A daily workout releases feel-good, de-stress brain chemicals, gives you a break from the daily grind and helps ease depression. Plus, if you combine exercise with the great outdoors you can cheer yourself up even more!

7. Fresh Air

Being cooped up with nothing but heaters to keep the air moving means fresh air is much harder to come by in winter! Generally, the air outside is healthier then that inside so going for a walk or run outside gives your lungs a chance to detox and breathe deeply without concern for breathing in other people’s bugs (at home or from the office!)

8. Avoid Winter Weight Gain

In the colder months it is so easy to turn to comfort food, because its so satisfying and it makes us feel good, well for a little anyway, and then we feel guilty. Its so easy to become a hibernating bear! No wonder it’s known as the ‘winter weight gain’ period. The only way to make up for those added treats is to increase the amount of exercise you’re doing. Try and balance your energy in and energy out then the shredding of clothes in spring wont be such a shock!

9. It Boosts Your Immune System

Moderate levels of exercise can boost the immune system and improve your defense against dreaded winter coughs and colds. Although pushing yourself too hard during exercise can have the opposite effect, moderate and regular exercise does make you less likely to end up buried knee deep in tissues and Lemsip.

10. You Don’t Necessarily Have To Leave The House

Of course, you’re not obligated to go outside. The grey skies and harsh wind do not make for the happiest (or safest) workout conditions. In winter, you can just hang out at home with a yoga mat or a set of dumbbells, as long as you’re moving, it doesn’t matter if you never leave the bedroom.