Move over, hot yoga. There’s a new sheriff in town.
It always seems like trends come and go in the fitness community in the blink of an eye. But there’s a new one out this season that is backed by science and has actually been floating around in the zeitgeist for a long time. Some gyms are offering cold workouts based off evidence that working out in the cold increases your metabolism and boosts fat-burning.
One fitness company based in New York is offering a class called “Brrrn” — a workout class where participants exercise in a 50 degree room. “Our whole thesis is that we want you to sustain a higher intensity for a longer period of time and cooler temperatures do that for you,” said founder Jimmy T. Martin.
Martin is not alone in touting the benefits of working out in the cold. It’s a scientific fact that cold temperatures increase our blood flow, providing more oxygen to the muscles and brain. Some studies have shown that exercising while shivering multiplies the amount of energy exerted by the body by almost five times.
If you don’t have a specialty gym in your area that does cold temperature workouts, I have great news for you: it’s winter! Going for a brisk walk in the cold or even a jog can have amazing health benefits, as long as you make sure to bundle up at least a little to prevent illness. Working out in the cold (if you can get yourself out of bed) can boost winter immunity and also combat the feelings of dreariness and lethargy commonly associated with the winter months. Many people suffer from vitamin D deficiency and don’t even know it; exercising outdoors in the winter can increase your levels of vitamin D, improving your muscles and your mood.
Working out in the cold is great for your cardiovascular health, too. Cold weather elevates your heart rate and actually makes your heart work harder to pump blood around the body. So, cold weather workouts can actually improve your overall circulation, even if you’re not currently working out, because they actually make your heart stronger. Be advised to exercise caution working out in the cold if you have a history of heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems.
An interesting recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation also showed that working out in cold weather can reduce the amount of “white” fat accumulated by the body. Saturated “white” fats are the kind we associate with high cholesterol, while other types of fat are healthier and easier to burn.
The cold weather workout idea may be a novelty to indoor gyms, but the common sense reasoning behind it has been around for years. How many people do you know that have ever gone for an arctic swim, recommended splashing cold water on your face when you wake up, or advocated for going for an early walk before dawn? These age-old fitness practices may be getting a flashy new revamp in the social media era.
