Chilly mornings, icy nights, littered leaves and long sleeves all over. Now in my fourth year attending school in Plattsburgh, I’ve had some experiences with brutally cold days.
As snow quickly approaches, the weather becomes more unforgiving as temperatures drop during the seasonal shift. It tends to slow everyone down, literally. Body heat dropping, sleeping longer and never-ending days are inevitable. We stay in more and become less active. Winter activities, such as skiing and snowboarding, typically don’t start until December, and not everyone has a gym pass. How can a person stay active?
One way to become more active during this cold season is by jogging outside. An aerobic type of exercise, jogging itself comes with many benefits.
For beginners, jogging three to four times a week for 20 to 30 minutes will promote many health benefits such as building stronger bone density, strengthening muscles, reducing the risk of cancers and sharpening mental activity, according to an article in The Independent, a publication in the United Kingdom
During the colder season it becomes even more beneficial. Because many people tend to stay in and eat more during this time, weight maintenance can become an issue. Jogging increases the body’s metabolism, which speeds up its processes. That results in faster digestion and less stored fat. A faster metabolism also keeps the body much warmer. This is useful especially when stepping out of a nice, warm shower and onto the cold bathroom floor.
Going for a light stride regularly also helps regulate skin health. As it becomes colder, skin gets drier. Skin health is worse with stress, however, and as college students, we’re no stranger to stress. With this combination of stress and cold, eczema becomes common for many people. It’s a condition that also comes in several forms that all cause the skin to itch and flare up. I had eczema as a result of both asthma and stress, so jogging for me relieves the stress I suffered from while keeping my asthma nonexistent. By increasing blood flow, the skin cells are constantly being nourished.
I used to jog a lot along the Saranac River trail. The trail is located behind almost every dorm building on campus, which is pretty convenient for many students. I used to live in Moffit and Macomb halls, so I would stretch by the trail before proceeding with a nice, calm jog. These jogs usually took about an hour to finish. I also frequently ran laps around the football field surrounded by the Saranac River and George Angell Drive. These jogs were much shorter but more repetitive. Now, I usually jog around the Rugar Woods since I live near that area.
Sweating less and a refreshing experience make jogging outside a good way to stay active and fit during the chilly upcoming winter season.
Email Stephen Nguyen at stephen.nguyen@cardinalpointsonline.com.
