Here is a little article about walking in winter. I love getting outside in the winter especially days like today where it is cold and very bright. It’s beautiful in the sun and you can warm up with an invigorating walk...now I’m going to have a hot chocolate and one of my homemade peanut butter cookies. 😋
The benefits of taking an outdoor winter walk are enormous, both mentally and physically! Fresh air, sunshine and movement are all beneficial to your overall health and disposition.
Walking in colder temperatures will help you to burn more calories because your body will work harder to stay warm. Once you get moving, endorphins will release, giving you a euphoric feeling – something much needed to combat the lack of sunlight we experience due to shortened daylight, and the blood pumping through your body will help to make you feel and look better.
Adjusting to a Winter Walk
Walking is a low intensity exercise and its benefits tend to be accumulative. This means that you can get close to the same benefits from two 30 minutes sessions as with one that’s an hour long. If it’s too cold, divide your walking time in half. By increasing your speed a bit, the caloric burn/fitness outcomes will be close.
To get maximum benefit from your walk, you should aim to get warm and slightly breathless but still be able to carry on a conversation. Nordic walking, or walking with poles, can make you work even harder because you're using your arms more. Even without poles or walking sticks, swinging your arms will increase the level of your workout.
Plan your route so you go into the wind on the way out and have it at your back on the way home. This way, the tough part will be over and you won't get so tired or cold from your sweat cooling. When walking downhill, take smaller steps, making sure the knees stay in line with the toes. Not only will this help you with balance, but you’ll also work your quadriceps muscles a little more.
After a long walk, it's important for you to rehydrate. Try drinking a glass of room temperature water shortly after you return indoors. It will be easier to drink than ice water. Then nestle in, in front of the fire and enjoy the beauty of the season. You deserve it!
Getting just 15 minutes of sun on your face and hands two to three times per week should suffice for getting enough sun for vitamin D production. Sun exposure triggers vitamin D production in the skin, and bones need vitamin D to make the body absorb bone-strengthening calcium properly.
Happy walking 🚶♀️🚶♀️
Ali 🙂
Final walk in the Lake District
A Meaningful Walk for Me Today