4 Motivational Reasons To Run Outdoors This Winter

Sorry to burst your bubble, but like it or not winter is here.

The chill has a way of making us want to rug up and hide in a hobbit hole until the sun-kissed mornings of spring, so for a motivational boost we’ve dug up 4 reasons to keep up with your outdoor running routine this winter. 

Burns More Calories (Well, Kind Of)

There’s a connection between shivering and exercise – both involve muscle contractions which create irisin, a hormone that converts white fat cells (that store energy around your tummy, hips, bum, you get the picture) into a brown fat state (that burns energy to generate heat to beat the chill) – so from storing energy to burning energy. 

Shivering itself burns calories to fuel these involuntary, heat generating muscle contractions without you even giving it a thought.

Here’s the but - if you’re a smart cookie and put our layering tips into action, you may not even shiver on the initial stages of your run, so the calorie burning benefits of the cold specifically are minimal. 

In truth, physical exertion like running does more for your body than shivering your booty off ever could – just another reason to run all year round! 

Wards Off SAD

That’s Seasonal Affective Disorder or seasonal depression and it can be a real downer, throwing your mood off whack and leaving you unmotivated.  

When the days shorten during the autumn and winter months, your exposure to light decreases and this can have a detrimental effect on your sense of wellbeing, with symptoms such as lack of energy, anxiety, poor quality sleep and of course, shuffling around in the fridge like an echidna hunting for comfort food (especially carbs).   

Getting outside and active makes a world of difference, increasing 'feel good' endorphins (learn more about that here) to combat your winter blues and boosting your essential vitamin D when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds. Not only that, but finishing a workout under a gloomy sky and in less than ideal conditions is a confidence booster and will help build your mental strength.

Lace up within the first two hours of waking to set a positive tone for the remainder of the day or if the cold is just too much, exercise during the warmer hours rather than giving in to excuses. Please seek professional help if you can’t shake off your winter slump.

It’s Easier

It may be trickier to get motivated to lace up in cold weather but once you’re in the swing of it, it’s much kinder on your body than summer. 

By not having to worry about summer stresses like heat exhaustion with your body working like crazy to produce sweat as a cooling mechanism, you’re able build up your speed and endurance. Of course, you still sweat but it’s nowhere near as taxing on your body and the lower humidity saves you from that muggy, lethargic feeling.  

Come spring you’ll be smiling like a well-rested wombat having put in the extra miles, rather than feeling sluggish and starting from step one to work on your summer beach bod.  

Cold? Just Layer Up

You may think the extra layers will slow you down, but layering up gives you better control of your body temperature – just pop off a layer and wrap it around your waist if you get too warm as your workout heats up. 

In summer, you can only strip down so much without wobbly bits hanging wild and free, and keeping cool on the go can be a real challenge. 

Plus, if you’ve run on crisp winter mornings you’ll know the cold weather certainly puts a pep in your step, encouraging a faster stride without the risk overheating.

It’s not unheard of to have a better personal best in winter than summer, and we bet you’ll enjoy that hot cocoa and warm shower even more after doing a winter sweat sesh.