If you’ve been pulling up the covers instead of your trackie daks on winter mornings, then you’re missing our on burning up bonus kilojoules. Researchers have found that the body chews up to 40 per cent more kilojoules when exercising in the winter. “Your body has to work harder to stay warm in cold weather, so you use more energy” says Associate Professor kate Steinbeck, Director of Metabolism and Obesity Services at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.



“If you’re exercising in a cold environment, your body will need to burn more kilojoules to keep your core temperature normal. But that’s only if the ambient temperature is cold. Working our in an air-conditioned gym won’t make any difference.”



The research suggests that if a 30-minutes walk outdoors usually burns around 420 kJ, it will chew up 880 kJ when it’s cold.



So don’t put off exercising just because it’s chilly outside.