AS January comes around every year, so do new year’s resolutions, with one of the most popular being exercise.
But many don’t make it far before dropping their goal, with nothing being blamed more than the weather.
Exercise for many, is just not appealing in the cold wind and rain of the early months of the year with participation dropping substantially.
A poll in 2022 of 2,000 athletes determined that 31% of participants stop exercising in the Winter compared to the summer months.
However, another poll conducted by Sport England believed it to be only 4% nationally.
This is still a drop of 1.8 million adults, primarily in men 16-44 and in all ethnic minorities except Chinese.
There are plenty of reasons for the drop in participation with the cold weather topping the list with nearly two thirds of the 31% of people in the first survey blaming it.
The often-miserable British winters of rain and wind means many outdoor sports become inaccessible or undesirable causing a plumet in motivation.
The darker mornings and evenings cause another problem, not only is it more difficult to get out of bed, but many believe unsafe as well leading to 57% naming the lack of daylight as their reason.
Many people’s emotions change subconsciously with the weather, with mood as grey as the weather outside undoubtedly having an effect.
Chief Psychologist at NOOM, Andreas Michaelides stated:
“For many, winter can play havoc with our intentions, causing us to exercise less or change our eating habits.
“Whether it’s the dark, the cold, stress, or tiredness, many external factors can impact our decision-making at this time of year.
“The data indicates that “hibernation mode” kicks in for almost one in five of us, and we often lose our motivation”
Sports doesn’t appeal to as many people in the cold winter months, with it being by far the least popular time of year for exercise, however contrast to what many would believe, this doesn’t make summer the most popular.
Spring and Autumn being the seasons either side of winter take that mantra, with 49% of people wishing they could maintain the healthy mindset they take on in the warmer seasons in the winter.
However, running in the winter does offer some benefits, with less cardiovascular strain and a 6% lower heart rate, many people set their personal bests in the winter.
It also reduces sweat loss a massive 38% when compared to warm conditions where it was 1.3L after 40 minutes of exercise.
Therefore, many should consider working through the troubles of winter exercise and motivation loss to feel the benefits of training in the cold as it’s the greatest challenges that give the best results back.
