The benefits of exercising in the cold weather outweigh the results of training outside during the summer months. Although it may not be the easiest of things to do, one of the best things about outdoor training in Winter is that the human body expends more energy to stay warm in the cold.

This means you burn more calories when training outdoors in Winter than in Summer. If this isn’t enough to inspire you to pull on your thermals and get your ass to the park then there are 5 reasons why you should suck it up and face the cold with your Winter training.

1. Mood Booster. Okay so seasonal affective disorder is definitely a thing. But it happens to more of us than you think. Research does show that any type of aerobic exercise whether it be brisk walking, cycling, jogging and strength training are all helpful in treating depression.
2. Vitamin D. Australians are more Vitamin D deficient than ever before, Vic and ACT recording the highest levels. We are spending too long indoors than out. Outdoor training will boost your Vitamin D intake, which strengthens bones by helping calcium absorption and may also be important for immunity against bacteria and viruses.
3. Germs. Avoiding highly populated, communal indoor areas such as the gym, may be a smart move when it comes to Winter exercise. It’s not possible to be immunised against a cold but you can reduce your risk of getting sick.
4. High Energy Effort. When you train outdoors in Winter your body expends more energy to stay warm than it needs to during Summer training. This means your heart works harder and you burn more kilojules. Studies have also shown that the exertion of running on a treadmill VS running outside found those who run outdoors use more energy to cover the same distance.
5. Group Training. Training with others during Winter provides the added bonus of being accountable to someone else especially if you’re one to hit the snooze button over and over.