The Unique Benefits of Hiking in Winter

When the weather starts to get cold, most of us may want to spend the whole day at home with a hot drink. It can be more tempting to enjoy the warmth of our home without getting mixed with the snow, rain and cold weather outside. It can be very difficult to go out even for daily chores, let alone walking in the open air. However, there are many benefits of walking in cold weather in contrast to the comfort offered by the warm atmosphere of our home. If you only take a walk in the spring or summer and take a long break from your walks in the winter, this article may change your mind. Many studies and expert opinions point out that walking in the winter supports physical and mental health. Here are the benefits of walking in winter that will lift you up even if it's freezing outside and keep your motivation alive:

Helps you Burn Nore Calories

Yes, walking in the winter helps burn more calories. You can motivate yourself more to go outside in the winter, especially if you are hiking to support your weight loss process. A study of 53 people noted that walking in cold weather helped participants burn more calories than walking in warm weather, thus helping them lose weight more easily. If you want to get in shape as well as physical and mental health, you should not neglect to take a walk during the winter months.

Strengthens your Bones

As we all know, the sun is the most important source of vitamin D, which we need for strong bones. Although we can be exposed to the sun's rays easily and frequently in the summer months, this is not enough to close the gap in the winter season. For this reason, it is very important to watch for the times when the sun shines in winter days and to take the vitamin D we need for strong bones by taking advantage of the winter sun.

Prevents Winter Depression

Due to the shortness of the days and the lack of sun rays in winter, our mood can often be low, which can pave the way for winter depression. Especially if you leave the house in the early hours of the morning before it is light, and return from work after dark, we can guess that it is difficult for you to keep your energy high. One of the reasons for this negative feeling is that besides seeing less sunlight, we also feel that our connection with nature has been severed and that we have withdrawn into our shells. Walking outdoors in winter, if possible, going to parks, forests, and seaside can help us get through the cold days and spend time in the sunshine without breaking our bond with nature. If you can't go for a walk when the day is bright due to the intensity of your work or your working hours, you should definitely add a walk in the open air to your weekend plans.

Upgrade your Mod

Walking outdoors in winter not only helps us get rid of negative moods; It also helps us to recover our mood by increasing our energy. Walking in cold weather can increase our mood by increasing the secretion of endorphin, also known as the happiness hormone, as well as combating winter depression. Many studies point out that walking outdoors, even for a short time, helps increase happiness. Taking time to walk every day, even for 20 minutes, during the winter months can be an important step for your overall health.

Helps You Fall Asleep Faster

We all know that cold weather helps us sleep better. As hard as it is to fall asleep in the hot and sweaty weather of summer and to sleep uninterruptedly throughout the night, it becomes easier in winter thanks to the cool weather. Since winter walks also affect the cooling of the body temperature, and also activate the muscles and bones and prepare the ground for physical fatigue, they can make us fall asleep as soon as we put our heads on the pillow at the end of the day. Especially in winter, if you have trouble falling asleep when you feel stressed or anxious, walking in the cold air, even for a short time, can facilitate your transition to a restful night's sleep experience.

Increases Your Endurance

Exposure to the cold is one of the most effective ways to improve physical endurance. Have you noticed those who go into the sea without saying snow or cold, those who take a shower with cold water in summer and winter, and those who walk around in thin T-shirts in the cold weather? Everyone must know something, right? While the cold weather strengthens your immune system against various bacteria, the exercise you do at the same time supports this. You can motivate yourself to walk even in freezing cold to support your holistic health by taking a walk by inhaling the cold air, as it both increases blood flow and strengthens mobility.

It Makes You Breathe Easier

You must have noticed before that; air provides a cleaner breath on winter days. Cool air, which has less pollutants and allergens, plays the role of facilitating our breathing by bringing fresh and clean air with a calming effect to our body. It also makes us feel renewed with every breath. Doesn't that deep air you breathe while taking a walk on a winter day where the tip of your nose is red and your fingertips feel as if they are freezing, does not really give you the feeling of being refreshed?

Refreshes Your Perspective

Winter can be the ideal season to listen to nature, to listen to it, to observe what is going on calmly and to think. The silence that surrounds you when it snows, the sadness that collapses when it rains, a tree that has shed its leaves trying to resist the wind… While walking helps you untie the knots of confusion in your mind, the cool and fresh air you breathe can bring a new breath to your thoughts.

Whether you want to meet your sports needs, lose weight or rest your mind, go out; Do not forget to take a walk in the winter despite the cold weather. For both your body and mind, taking time for a walk during the winter months, if possible, during the hours when the sun's rays shine, can help you feel much better by increasing your quality of life quickly.