Just because it’s a bit chilly and sometimes a bit wet and occasionally a bit snowy, it doesn’t mean you have to head straight to your nearest gym to start burning off all the Christmas calories. Okay, so the weather isn’t the best in January for outdoors exercise but if you’re wearing the right outdoors clothing or sports clothing and you’re prepared to brave the elements there are a host of benefits to come from keeping fit outdoors.

Exercising outdoors, whether it’s walking, running or cycling, or even ice-skating or building snowmen, is a wonderful mood enhancer. You’ll probably already know that keep-fit boosts your feel-good hormones called serotonin and if you suffer from the traditional winter blues it is amazingly beneficial to spend some time outdoors each day in daylight.

Research shows that exercising outdoors in daylight for just an hour each day can help to combat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Keep-fit fans are also likely to have lower blood pressure – which in turn leads to improved feelings of well-being.

Another plus-point of exercising outdoors is winter is calorie burn. In cold weather, some experts believe you burn slightly more calories because of a small drop in body temperature, which can see your metabolism increasing to warm and humidify the air you breathe. Wearing extra clothing and heavier boots or shoes will also lead to a higher fat-burn because you are carrying more weight.

If winter makes you shiver from the moment you get up, then bear in mind that it actually pays to get outdoors. Wrap up warm and get out for a walk and you’ll feel your circulation getting a kickstart. Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to boost your circulation and the effects can last for some time after you stop exercising, so long as you quickly change out of your sweaty clothing. 

But the toughest part of outdoors exercise in winter is putting on your walking boots or running trainers and leaving behind the warmth of the indoors.

How to get outdoors this winter

Go for layers: Avoid cotton as that makes you boil and sweat and then leaves you wet and cold. Instead, choose two or threebaselayers made from breathable and wick-away fabrics such as a technical polyester or merino wool baselayer.

If you’re walking add a midlayer and a soft shell, as well as a waterproof jacket and waterproof overtrousers. Don’t forget the accessories, including hat, gloves and warm socks, as well as waterproof walking boots or wellingtons, depending on where you’re going.

If you’re running, go for a baselayer or two and an outer layer that is windproof or waterproof, or both, depending on the conditions. See these running jackets. Wear running tights and on-road or off-road trainers according to where you’re heading. Remember that you’ll quickly warm up so if at the start you feel a little chilly don’t worry because you’ll be much warmer within 10 minutes. Add gloves and a hat, and if you’re running on busy streets remember to wear bright and reflective clothing so that you can be seen.

Warm up: It's important to warm up your muscles before any work out session, but especially so in cold weather when muscles are tighter and it is easier to end up with a strain. Follow a set of dynamic warm-up exercises that aim to increase the blood circulation in your major muscles rather than focusing on too much stretching. Muscles stretches should be reserved for your post-exercise cool down.

Start your exercise session slowly and then build up the pace. This is the same whether you’re planning a hill hike, a power walk or a run.

And finally...The five minute rule

Tell yourself that if you’re not enjoying your exercise session after five minutes of starting out then you can come home. There are days when you’re just not in the mood or your body is feeling tired. However, research shows that after five minutes most people are feeling the benefits of their exercise session and so they are likely to keep going.

As we said, it’s crossing the threshold of your home in the first place that’s the most challenging part of winter exercise outdoors. Enjoy the benefits!