Although the cold and the cold temperatures often serve as a justification for us to stay in the house and spend the weekend under the blanket, the benefits of winter walking for both mental and physical health are so great that after reading this text you will hopefully spend some afternoon on the couch. replace with a walk in which low temperatures will not prevent you.
Fresh air and movement, and maybe a little sun, are good for health and mood. But before we start writing about the benefits of winter walking, it is important to mention that you need to be well prepared for it.
1. For starters - Wear a few layers of clothing on you so you can adjust to the moments when you get warm or cool. It would be good if the outer layer of clothing is resistant to water and wind, as well as to have a reflective vest with reflective tape, especially if your walking will enter the night.
2. Also, do not forget gloves, if necessary put two pairs on your hands to keep your hands warm. When heated, it is easiest to remove one pair. And do not walk with your hands in your pockets as this will affect your balance.
3. Cover your head with a scarf and wrap your face and neck with a scarf. Also, make sure your winter walking shoes are warm, waterproof, and do not slip away as ice is not uncommon in winter.
Fresh grain
4. It is also important that in cases of extreme cold, plan your activity well in advance. Think about what you will be doing outside and how long you plan to stay, or walk, and think about the fastest way to your house in case it gets cold. Take your water and cellphone with you and put your things in your backpack.
5. If walking will become your winter activity, it would not be a bad idea to get walking poles, especially if your choice is rough terrain.
6. And try to find a company that will motivate you to make your hikes not a one-off thing but a regular activity.
7. Before leaving, pay attention to temperatures and wind, which can have a misleading effect as it affects the sensation of coldness, and the stronger the wind, the lower the "sensation" of the actual air temperature.
For example, if the wind is blowing at 15 / km / h and the outside temperature is 10 degrees Celsius, it will feel like eight. If the wind blows at 100 km / h at the same temperature, the sensation will be 4.
BENEFITS FROM WINTER WALKING
Now let's start with the benefits that winter walking can have on you and your health:
1. Lifting from the couch
Walking is cheap and easy. These two things should be your first incentive to replace your afternoon sofa on the couch.
An even better incentive to start walking is the fact that scientists have also seen a range of benefits that only have 150 minutes of physical activity per week, which can be moderate or stronger, depending on your options.
On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle that involves a sofa carries with it a whole host of negative consequences. Lack of activity, among other things, increases the risk of heart attack, as well as impaired circulation, obesity, loss of muscle mass, back problems...
2. Burning calories
Walking at lower temperatures will help you burn more calories as your body works harder to stay warm.
One study found that time translated at low temperatures can increase calorie burn by up to 30 percent.
3. Create a healthy habit
While you may give up exercising at the gym very quickly, walking is an activity that makes it easier to create healthy habits - because while walking you enjoy beautiful nature and fresh air at the same time. And while you enjoy the view, the number of steps taken and the calories burned just goes up.
When you start walking, it would not be a bad idea to keep track of how much time you have been active and how many steps you have gone through because once you have insight into your results, your motivation and desire to continue the activity will increase. Slowly this healthy activity will become your habit and part of your routine.
4. Longer life
Setting aside 20 minutes each day for brisk walking will significantly reduce your chances of premature death. The study was conducted at Cambridge University, which included 334,000 adult Europeans. A modest increase in physical activity is also sufficient to improve your health and prolong life.
5. Helps fight depression
After the holiday glare, many people experience winter depression, and walking is one way of dealing with it.
In the case of depression, it is recommended to spend as much time outdoors as possible. If you are among those who have completely sunk after the holidays, let some of your life become hikes, preferably in beautiful locations, in nature, which will be an added plus.
6. Vitamin D production
Although we sometimes get the impression that we don't see the sun in the winter for days, it can still be streamed in low temperatures, and just 15 minutes in the sun, two to three times a week, is enough to produce vitamin D. Exposure to the sun, in fact, stimulates the production of this vitamin which is important for strong bones, among other things. This should be an incentive for you to use every sunny winter day for a walk.
7. Walking is social involvement
Walking in the fresh, winter air is an ideal way to socialize with friends. Also, if you walk alone you will surely run into some neighbors, acquaintances with whom you will say goodbye and have a nice chat. And the day will be better now.
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