Research shows that running outdoors in the cold could lead to increased weight loss

Finding the motivation to head outside in the colder weather can often be hard, but research shows that it may have a greater impact on your fitness levels and attempts to lose weight. As organisers of the Cancer Research UK Winter Run, Human Race teamed up with James Wilson, lead physiologist at Porsche Human Performance to find out why running in the winter should be embraced by runners.

The Winter Run challenges people to run 10k, at traditionally the coldest time of the year, to raise money for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work.

Early studies have shown that outdoor exercise, such as running, during the winter could be highly beneficial due to its effect on our brown adipose tissue, otherwise known as brown fat. It was widely believed that brown fat disappeared after infancy, however it has recently been discovered that adolescents and adults do still have substantial deposits. Brown fat, when regularly exposed to the cold, is activated and begins to burn up our calorie and fat reserves in order to keep us warm. Running outside during the winter could therefore be a great way to increase brown fat activity and the resulting increased energy expenditure could lead to weight loss.

With recent research suggesting that exercising in the cold could lead to weight loss why not take some time away from the sofa and embrace the elements outdoors?

Committing to run 10k at the Winter Run will give you even more motivation to carry on running through winter. The event takes place on closed roads with fun elements on the course such as a penguin party. At the finish each runner will be rewarded with a medal and a polar bear hug.