When the weather gets colder, you may mourn the loss of warm temperatures and feel like you can no longer enjoy your favorite outdoor pastimes. Although chillier temperatures bring about unique challenges for enjoying outdoor activities, overall the cold is not bad for you. In fact, cold weather can have many positive effects on your health.
Don’t hibernate the winter away. Take advantage of these four good things about cold weather this winter.
1. Get Better Sleep
If you struggle with poor health, a simple solution could be getting more sleep. Adults are chronically sleep-deprived, missing out on those essential eight hours of zzz’s. The dark, cold days of winter are the perfect opportunity to catch up on your sleep, as it’s easier for your body to drop its core temperature and sleep more soundly.
2. Burn More Calories
Your body constantly works to keep your internal temperature at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, that’s not too difficult. In the winter, though, your body has to work a little harder. That means it expends a lot of energy, burning more calories in the process.
3. Give Your Brain a Boost
Have you noticed that you tend to think more clearly when the temperature is cooler? Two researchers from the University of Houston and the University of Virginia decided to see if cooler weather actually improves cognitive function. Their studies found that warm temperatures tend to deplete mental resources faster because the body uses up more glucose during hot summer months. This is the same energy source needed for mental functions.
To wake up your mind, try taking a walk on a brisk winter morning.
4. Improve Your Overall Health
In the winter, pollen counts are basically non-existent and there are no pesky mosquitoes. You can spend plenty of time in the cold outdoors without worrying about allergies or those annoying bug bites, which can also pose other health risks.
Due to the increase in colds and the flu during winter, you may believe that cold weather is bad for you. In fact, when your body experiences cold air, your immune system can fight infection more effectively. Get out there and spend more time outdoors in colder temperatures.
Try Winter Camping This Season
With all the amazing health benefits of cold weather, now is the perfect time to start planning your winter camping trip. Cold weather camping is easy when you choose KOA. From Alabama to Washington, there are a large number of KOA Campgrounds open year-round.
What are you waiting for? Grab your winter coat and cold-weather camping gear and reserve your site today.
