5 Reasons to Love Winter Running

Cold mornings, dark pavements and icy toes and fingers are often enough to make runners want to batten down the hatches and hibernate until the spring. But winter running also means stunning sunrises, magical landscapes, and benefits for both your wellbeing and long term training.

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Here are our top 5 reasons to layer up, lace up your running shoes, and hit the roads and trails this winter.

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1. It’s great running weather

Although it may not seem that way when you first step outside, winter temperatures provide excellent conditions for running. With good layering and a proper warm up, you’ll find it easier to maintain a comfortable core temperature, and you’re less likely to overheat than in the summer months.

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2. You can build up for a strong Spring

Winter provides the ideal time for building up base mileage comfortably without the added pressure of an imminent race ahead. If you’ve been training and racing throughout the summer, or spent the year training towards an Autumn marathon, you can often feel emotionally and physically fatigued and lacking motivation by the time winter arrives. Use the winter to steadily build up your core fitness at your own pace, try out new routes and training sessions, and reconnect with your love of running.

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3. It helps to beat the winter blues

Diminishing daylight and colder temperatures can often cause low mood, lethargy and depression often linked to SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is thought to be connected to reduced exposure to sunlight. Running produces powerful hormones, increasing positive mood states and helping to combat low mood. The evidence suggests that 30 minutes of exercise 3 days a week is effective against depression, and in relation to SAD this has a dual effect, as you’re also getting more exposure to sunlight.

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4. It helps fight winter flab.

In the winter we tend to move around less, seratonin levels drop and our metabolisms slow down. The body tries to cling onto extra insulation and we’re drawn to energy dense and calorie rich foods typically loaded with sugar, leading to weight gain. Running is your best weapon against the winter bulge, by burning calories and enhancing mood. There is also limited evidence to suggest that moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, reducing the risk of coughs and colds.

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5. It’s fun!

Winter mornings mean amazing sunrises, and stunning scenery. There’s nothing like a solitary run through falling autumn leaves, mud or snow to make you feel happy with the world, and after running through wind, sleet or rain, that hot shower and post run snack will never feel more deserved. Enjoy.

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Are you feeling inspired? Then join our SportsShoes Strava Run Club and become part of our inclusive community.
And for more inspirational tips to become stronger, better and happier, then check out our Motivation category. Because it’s no fun standing still.