Seasonal Fitness Mentalities

If you take a look at the animal kingdom, you'll notice that acquatic mammals in colder climates naturally develop a layer of blubber to stay warm in the winter. To some degre, we humans also have similar instincts during the winter months.

There are a number of ways that the seasonal changes of a cooling climate are making us fatter. In fact, winter is contributing to our fatness in the following ways:

Just like a polar bear and otter, it is possible that humans develop an extra layer of "blubber" to keep warm. Some studies have shown that children who are born during cold winter months are significantly more likely to become obese as adults. If you have a litle one on the way, you better turn the heater up!!

Anybody who wakes up to the sunlight in the morning, or who has fallen asleep during a movie when the lights are low knows that sunlight helps to keep yuo awake and energised. Without that sunlight shining in the evening, we tend to wind down earlier and relax. You know what that means.....less activity and less calories burned.

People are more likely to get into shape when their bodies are exposed. Going swimming in the summer, wearing a tank top or t-shirt to the mall....those motivations are gone in the winter. You won't have the same pressures to look good for others.

Let's face it, you're not going to be spending the same amount of time playing ball in the park when it's cold. When you finally exercise, you're more likely to use the treadmill or an abdominal gadget in your nice warm home. Getting out to the gym where you can do some good weight lifting and retrain your lean body mass is more difficult. As you lose your lean body mass (muscle), your metabolism slows down.

At first, you would that that less cooking means less gain in weight. That would be true if less cooking meant less eating. Again, when the sun sets earlier, it feels later than it really is. Instead of going outside and having a barbeque at 7 p.m. you are more likely to find yourself sitting in McDonalds drive through.

Yours enthusiastically

Rod Bannister