New Study: Shivering In the Cold Burns Calories

Beyond any doubt this has been the coldest winter in quite some time, certainly the coldest of he 21st century. And with more cold weather - and even snow - expected this week, folks in the ArkLaTex may be asking themselves, does any good come from all this chilly weather? Well, what if we told you that these below average temps may help you lose weight?

As crazy as it might seem, it just might be true. According to new research results from the University of Sydney in Australia, “shivering” for 10 to 15 minutes burns as many calories as a full hour of moderate exercise.

The university discovered that being cold and physical exercise are both responsible for the production of “good fat” by the human body, and this is type of fat actully sppeds the metabolism and burns more calories.

And this isn’t the only study to establish the correlation between being cold and weight loss.  A few weeks ago, a study in the Netherlands also found that working or exercising in the cold can raise your metabolism.

Now, don't go thinking we're in favor of postponing spring in favor of six more weeks of winter, but on the other hand, when it's 20 or 25 degrees one of these mornings, just remember that that long cold walk from the car to the office building is really doing you some good.