It was a cold, rainy morning, and I was happily enjoying my warm, cozy apartment, so I put on a coat and went for walk in the park. To some, this would be a perfectly normal choice. To many, however, this would be a clear sign of madness.
The conventional wisdom is that if you go outside while it’s cold and rainy, you’ll probably get sick. It turns out, though, that this notion has no scientific backing. Being cold doesn’t cause you to catch a cold; colds are caused by viruses.1 Here’s a well-researched, 3-minute video explaining why we actually get sick more in winter. Among the several reasons described in the video, there are two I’d like to highlight because we have some control over them: being indoors around other sick people and not getting enough sunlight.2 Ironically, the advice to stay inside to avoid getting sick might make you more likely to get sick.
Whether done inside or outside, exercise improves your immune system,3 so staying active in winter is a great way to reduce your likelihood of catching a cold. Most of us (well, at least those of us who live at northern latitudes) tend to be more sedentary during the winter. This is harmful to our short-term and long-term health, and our short-term and long-term psychological well-being. So it’s critical to counteract that trend with a deliberate effort to get more exercise.
And if you prefer to be active outdoors, there’s no good reason to let the cold weather stop you. Actually, if you’re driving motivation is to stay healthy, getting exercise in nature is exactly what you should do. Research has shown that spending time in the forest improves your immune system4 and can even help prevent or fight cancer.5
Time in nature is also a critical and too-often overlooked component of mental health. It’s easy to let “bad” weather prevent you from going into the forest, but you’ll probably be happier if you go. John Green put out a brief video this week highlighting a recent walk in the woods that brought him great joy. I think the video might bring you some joy too, so if you have three minutes, click here to watch it.
I know it’s cold and rainy, and you’d rather stay inside, but go outside anyway. You won’t regret it.
1 “Monday’s medical myth: you can catch a cold by getting cold.” The Conversation: Academic rigor, journalistic flair. July 25, 2011.
2 “Why Do We Get Colds When It’s Cold?” SciShow. December 26, 2017.
3 “Exercise and immunity.” U.S. National Library of Medicine.
4 “Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health.” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
5 Li, Qing. “Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function.” Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine. March 25th, 2009.