I am not a winter girl. Because I was born and raised in Buffalo, people assume I'm a total winter-lover.
But this is certainly not the case. I hate the cold, the wind and the snow. What I dislike most of all is the lack of time I get to spend outside during the winter months.
Enough is enough. I am sick and tired of this cold and dreary weather. I can only handle so much time spent in the gym on the treadmill or elliptical because using those machines over and over becomes way too boring and tiresome.
I want to ask Mother Nature where the sun went and why these freezing temperatures are stillaround. I dream of the summer months sitting by a pool and relaxing after a long and stressful semester.
But what really makes me excited for the warm weather is when I can finally work on my bikini body outside of the gym. I miss being able to play golf or tennis or go for a swim.
Nothing feels better for me than waking up early before class starts and being able to get in a quick morning run outside, instead of trudging through the snow just to get my butt to the gym.
To me, running outside is a way I can be at peace. Being outside in the early morning quiet is my therapy during the stressful times during the semester, especially during exam time.
Any workout outside has positive effects for the mental and physical wellbeing of everyone, according to sciencedaily.com. This website states adults who exercise outside showed improvement in mental wellbeing compared to when those same individuals exercised indoors.
Exercise in natural environments is also found to be associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement. Even better, participants were also more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.
Although I find the winter chill unfavorable, the benefits of getting in a workout in the winter months may be more beneficial than waiting for spring. According to mindbodygreen.com, working out during the winter helps burn more calories because your body is working harder. Your metabolism speeds up and your body burns more calories and fat to produce energy for the workout. Your endurance performance also increases because the cold strengthens your heart, lung and circulatory system.
One of the best perks of working out outside is that it can help fight seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a result of taking in more sunlight hours to keep your mind sharp and relieve depression while also increasing your body's manufacturing of vitamin D.
While a few daring people will brave the Buffalo cold to get in a workout now, sometimes the cold snow and wind can become be too much. No matter what, the goal is to always be doing some sort of exercise - whether it's at the gym or outside. So tie on your sneakers and get to work.
Email: lisa.epstein@ubspectrum.com
