Exercise In Nature This Winter
Exercise In Nature This Winter
According to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines on GOV.UK, everyone should be exercising every day, all year around. Every week, adults over the age of 18 should have at least one of the following:
- 150 minutes (2 and a half hours) of moderate-intensity activity (brisk walking or cycling); or
- 75 minutes of high-intensity activity (swimming or running); or
- Short periods of very high-intensity activity (sprinting); or
- A mixture of moderate, high, and very high-intensity activities.
But, sadly, this isn’t always the case. When winter approaches, it’s a real challenge to stay active and keep motivated. If it’s chucking it down with low temperatures, the last thing you want to do is go outside, get drenched and attract a cold. Instead, avoiding exercise at all costs and staying warm indoors sounds much better!
With this in mind, the following article will break down the benefits of daily exercise in the colder months. Continue reading to learn more.
Keeps You Warm… Surprisingly
Yes, that’s right, the cold air is unpleasant to the body, but the fastest way to warm up is to keep moving. When you exercise, your heart pumps harder and your muscles turn stored energy into heat. This causes your body to warm up.
So, avoiding exercise because it’s too cold is no longer an excuse!
Boosts Your Immune System
Studies show that the recommended exercise time leads to a boost in your immune system by increasing the movement of immune cells around your body, clearing bacteria from your lungs and airways. Over time, this increases your ability to fight off colds, viruses and the flu during winter.
It’s a winning situation all around!
Improves Your Mood and More
Staying active isn’t just good for your physical health. It’s good for your mental health, too. Have you ever felt better after exercise? Well, this is because when you exercise, your body releases a feel-good chemical called endorphins. This helps reduce levels of stress, anxiety and feelings of depression. Going for a brisk walk or run in the park gives you the opportunity to clear your mind, boost your mood and reset your approach to life’s problems.
As you now know, there are many health and physical benefits from regular exercise. A better way to look at it easier is if we need at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, this can be broken down into 30-minute sessions, 5 days a week or 50-minute sessions, 3 days a week.
Doesn’t sound so bad now, right?
Get Support in Stafford & South Staffordshire
As mental health issues are very popular in today’s world and often kept under the surface. It’s important to share how you’re feeling and not let those feelings be bottled up inside. If you have noticed a negative change in your mental health or mood that is affecting you on a daily basis, please reach out by speaking to someone such as a close family member, your doctor or a counsellor is a good place to start.
At Building Better Opportunities, we offer a wide range of services to support your physical and mental health including confidence building, animal therapy, training courses, exercise classes, anxiety & mental health workshops, and much more.
For more information, feel free to contact us.