The clocks have gone back, and suddenly the days feel shorter, darker, and colder.
It’s no surprise our motivation to get outside and stay active starts to freeze along with the weather.
President of the Liverpool John Moore’s running society, Isaac Farqhar, has noticed a clear pattern in attendance, with numbers decreasing drastically in the winter months.
He said: “It’s been similar each year I’ve been here. We get loads of new people in September at the start of the university year.
“But come the end of October our numbers halve. Part of it is just people trying something new, but the cold weather plays a massive part.
“Nobody wants to run when it’s pitch black and your hands feel like they’re about to drop off at any moment. It’s completely understandable in fairness.”
Isaac’s claims are backed by statistics, with an average of 45% of people in the UK exercising during summer, but only 24% keeping this up throughout winter.
Similarly, a survey taken by The Independent shows that a fifth of adults see their exercise levels drop by 37% during winter months. Nearly three quarters (72%) of those put the drop in exercise down to the significant change in weather.
There are a number of reasons for the downturn in exercise, whether it be lack of motivation due to the darkness, the cold weather or, in particular for females, feeling uncomfortable running alone in the dark.
Runner, Ella Rounding, said: “I definitely feel a lot safer running during summer or in pairs. With the days being so short in winter, I feel there’s so much less time to run.
“I think most women feel the same. Running alone in the dark isn’t a safe experience for us, it puts a lot of women off.
“Obviously the colder weather plays a part as well, but I think for us girls the lack of safety is definitely the main contributing factor for not exercising as much in winter.”
As well as this, annual holidays such as Christmas play a part in the decrease in exercise. People have a busier schedule over the festive period, seeing family and friends and don’t have as much time to do things like going on runs or playing sport.
This can often lead to people putting on extra weight, which then can lead people to become even more discouraged to exercise as it becomes more difficult.
While there is a definite decrease in outdoor activity, those who do want to stay active in the winter months often divert their attention to indoor sports such as squash and padel.
