Cold weather walking

A1btr
A1btr Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone know if there's an additional calorie burn factor when walking in cold or really cold weather?

Replies

  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,310 Member
    Nope.. been walking in cold weather during lunch time.
  • karlpm
    karlpm Posts: 78 Member
    Your body does burn more calories when you're cold. The amount is not really quantifiable though.
  • jasonpoihegatama
    jasonpoihegatama Posts: 496 Member
    There had been some old studies done on this before i cannot remember much of them now. But it was your core body temperature will stay cooler so you could work out longer and lose more calories.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    A1btr wrote: »
    Does anyone know if there's an additional calorie burn factor when walking in cold or really cold weather?

    not a loggable amount, no.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
    A1btr wrote: »
    Does anyone know if there's an additional calorie burn factor when walking in cold or really cold weather?

    This was studied by the Canadian military years ago and the result was that the additional calories expended, assuming you're properly attired, was negligible.
  • missmince
    missmince Posts: 76 Member
    I have also read that the temperature won't increase your calorie burn, but if you're walking in wintery weather conditions, you may well be burning more. Walking or running on crunchy yet deep snow, or ice and sludge, or, my favorite, a layer of snow over wet ice, must affect calorie burn. I find that I end up with sore muscles and fatigue from working to stay vertical and hopping over icy, muddy puddles or stepping into snow banks because they're better than the trail. Unfortunately, my Garmin is terrible with heart rate in the cold, so it gives me fewer calories burned for a slower walking pace, when I feel like like I've been doing an obstacle course (more entertaining than normal walks, though). If the trail is in truly bad shape, I use the "hiking, cross country" or a higher speed of walking than I actually did to account for the difficulty added. I remove the watch, though, since I don't want to add the step calories on top of this activity alteration. It already ups the numbers a lot. The rest of the time I just think of it as a calorie buffer, courtesy of Maine winters. Walking outside, even a few miles, when it's in the teens or low twenties makes me feel less sedentary and tougher, which is better than burning a few more calories. Or so I tell myself, when my toes and nose have thawed.

  • A1btr
    A1btr Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for the comments. I guess it matters little but it sure makes me feel more tired. I liked the reply from missmince because it's just the way I do it, see it and feel about it. FYI - I add my 85# Husky/Mix dog to the trail adventures just for fun and sometimes counter balance (ouch).
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
    ^^ jogging in snow makes me sore in all kinds of weird places ... but my Garmin never gives me any extra for it either.
  • A1btr
    A1btr Posts: 4 Member
    Well I spent a few minutes searching for my answer. A simple explanation is: Shivering in the cold does burn brown fat and expend more energy than normal, but exercising in the cold doesn't burn any more. It isn't an accumulated thing as exercise adds internal heat, negating the cold temps effect. Thanks for all of the interest.

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