Benefits of Outdoor Physical Activity in Winter

Why Outdoor Physical Activity is Great In The Cold

Are you cooped up in the house during the cold winter months?

As we are heading into winter, we like nothing more than cosying up with our families and waiting for the cold weather to pass. But while the festive season is on the horizon, and we are all partial to a few more treats than usual, it's still crucial to maintain our health and fitness.

However, stepping outside can be the last thing on people's plans at this time of year. But did you know that there are many health benefits associated with outdoor fitness, and some of those health benefits are improved when you participate in winter outdoor movement?

So let's show you some great activities to carry you through the winter, but, more importantly, make exercise fun! So let's get your winter-wear and thermals on and get out there!!!

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

— Aristotle

Playing in the Snow

If you are getting a lot of snow where you are, and the kids can't get to school, or you can't get to work, it's time to make the most of it and enjoy this family-friendly activity. There's so much you can do, and while you could burn a few hundred calories an hour playing in the snow, there is the added benefit of cold exposure, which will activate your brown fat stores. Moving outdoors in the winter will boost your levels of brown fat [5], which will increase the amount of white fat you're burning, helping you improve your body composition. Brown fat activation has also been shown to enhance energy expenditure [1,2], lower serum triglycerides [3], improve insulin sensitivity.[4]

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Outdoor Play

Whether you like kicking a ball around, playing ice hockey on the frozen lake, or sledging [sledding (US)], plenty will get you and your loved ones running around, burning calories, and having a fun aerobic workout. Sledging is one of those skills where you have to use many muscle groups to steer. Additionally, it's taking the sledge back up to the top of the hill that will work your leg muscles!

Snowball Fights

What could be more playful than a snowball fight? Snowball fights are a great winter playout; you will be having too much fun to realise you are exercising. So pick your teams, bundle up your snowballs and initiate the battle of the century!

Build A Snowman

Building a snowman strengthens both the upper and lower body, particularly if the snowman's body is extra-large and there is a lot of snow to lift and carry.

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Walking

Many people underestimate walking as an excellent fitness activity, especially if you are looking for something that the whole family can enjoy. Heading for a walk in the winter can be more challenging, especially if you've experienced a lot of snow overnight! Plus, you tend to walk faster, making it brisk to help keep you warm.

However, there's a lot of benefits to walking, and if you can get it up to the point where you are struggling to hold a conversation, this is where you get the most benefit. If you want to increase the challenge, take the family up a nearby hill, and you will get the legs working, the heart pumping, and everybody will feel like they've had a fantastic workout.

Shovelling Snow

Snow shovelling is an excellent physical activity. It works your upper and lower body, and these sorts of activities can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. [6] In one study, snow shovelling was equivalent to vigorous physical exercise, like running on a treadmill.

Gardening

An often underappreciated physical activity is gardening. Digging and mowing can mean you will burn the same number of calories you would at the gym. Additionally, you can improve your strength, aerobic endurance, and muscle movements by digging in the dirt, especially when the earth is rock hard! Gardening incorporates stamina, balance, strength, and flexibility, and works all major muscle groups.

Gardening is a great opportunity to get outside and connect with nature.

Gardening not only improves your psychological state by giving you a different perspective on everyday life. Feel good hormones such as endorphins are released to revitalise your sense of wellbeing. Evidence shows time spent in a garden connecting with nature can help overcome low mood, mental fatigue and improve wellbeing

Dancing

If you really cannot bear to venture outside and make the most of the winter, this is one of the best things you can do in the comfort of your own home! Put some music on, and access the many benefits of dancing. It increases your muscular strength and endurance, and aerobic fitness, but it will also improve your coordination and agility. Dancing is also great for your mental health. So when in doubt, crank those festive tunes up to 11, and shake it with the entire family!

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References:

[1] Castellani JW, Young AJ., "Human physiological responses to cold exposure: acute responses and acclimatisation to prolonged exposure." Auton Neurosci. 2016;196:63–74

[2] Chondronikola M, Volpi E, Børsheim E, et al., "Brown adipose tissue is linked to a distinct thermoregulatory response to mild cold in people.",  Front Physiol. 2016;7:129

[3] Bartelt A, Bruns OT, Reimer R, et al. "Brown adipose tissue activity controls triglyceride clearance.", Nat Med. 2011;17(2):200–205

[4] Nedergaard J, Bengtsson T, Cannon B. "New powers of brown fat: fighting the metabolic syndrome." Cell Metab. 2011;13(3):238–240.

[5] Liang X, Pan J, Cao C, et al. "Transcriptional response of subcutaneous white adipose tissue to acute cold exposure in mice." Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(16):3968.

[6] Lear, Scott A, et al. "The Effect of Physical Activity on Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease in 130 000 People from 17 High-Income, Middle-Income, and Low-Income Countries: The PURE Study." The Lancet, vol. 390, no. 10113, Dec. 2017, pp. 2643–2654, 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31634-3.

[7] Franklin BA, Hogan P, Bonzheim K, et al. "Cardiac Demands of Heavy Snow Shoveling." JAMA. 1995;273(11):880–882. doi:10.1001/jama.1995.03520350062030