When it gets colder, it often takes a little more effort to drag yourself outside for a workout. Still, it's worth it. Here are four reasons to get you motivated!
You burn more calories
You may have heard this statement somewhere, but it is no myth that you burn more calories during a workout when it is cold outside. This has to do with your brown fat. This type of fat is activated to control your body temperature during exercise. Brown fat then helps you burn more calories and satisfy your hunger longer.
You can exercise longer
When it's hot outside, you often don't feel like working out for long periods of time. In the fall and winter periods, an endurance workout is not such a punishment. After all, it already takes a while to warm up your body and once you're outside, it's often great to exercise a little longer. By exercising in nature, the environment often has a calming and inspiring effect as well.
Your metabolism is fueled
Your metabolism is responsible for the energy during your workouts. As we mentioned earlier, in cold weather it's mainly the brown fat that gets fired up, breaking down your blood sugar and fat molecules. This can make your metabolism work better and this, in turn, can have a positive effect on diabetes symptoms.
Your mental health improves
Exercising in cold weather can improve your memory. In addition, your body needs more glucose to warm up in cold weather. With more glucose available, your brain will generally function better. Also, remember that motivating yourself to go outside makes you mentally stronger. When you come back from a run, you will be proud of yourself for going despite the cold weather.