With its shorter days and colder temperatures, exercising outdoors during winter takes more planning. But if you can get past that initial cold blast, there’s lots to enjoy.
“I think exercising outside, as uncomfortable as it may seem, is fantastic,” says Tamanna Singh, a sports cardiologist with the Cleveland Clinic who exercises outdoors year-round. “You’re breathing fresh air and get to be with nature.”
Working out in cold weather improves cardiac function, boosts the immune system, lifts the mood and builds endurance in terms of overcoming the cold.
“The benefits of exercising outside cannot be overstated,” adds Patrick Doherty, a neurosurgeon and assistant clinical professor of neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine. It also burns more calories than in milder weather, which is particularly important during this relatively sedentary time of year, he says.
