- Experts say running in cold weather provides boosts over warm weather running due to a number of factors, including exertion, metabolic strain, and calorie-burning brown fat.
- They note that exercising during the winter is also a way to combat seasonal affective disorder.
- Experts recommend proper layering for cold weather, along with more grippy footwear if conditions are slippery.
- They add that new runners should consult with their doctor, then slowly build toward their goals.
Running can be an effective workout for cardiovascular fitness all year round.
However, recent research concludes that going for a run in colder temperatures can provide an extra boost.
Experts interviewed by Medical News Today say that while winter runs might necessitate some extra precautions in terms of attire and footwear, these chilly workouts provide benefits that summer exercise simply doesn’t have.
“Running is a good cardiovascular exercise. You’re using just about every leg muscle as well as swinging the arms, so while it isn’t necessarily a total body workout, it’s pretty close,” Dr. Joshua Blomgren, a Chicago-based primary care sports medicine specialist at Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH as well as an aid station medical captain for the Chicago Marathon, told Medical News Today.
“You’re going to get those cardiovascular benefits from running in hot or cold weather, but what the body goes through to maintain body temperature in cold weather running is a little bit different,” he added.
Blomgren points to a number of recent studies that tout the benefits of cold weather running along with the challenges of hot weather running.
A benefit of colder runs…
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