This time of year, it can be tempting to hibernate until the first signs of spring emerge. But it turns out that taking walks in nature on chilly winter days may come with unique mind-body benefits. And nature can be defined loosely—as any environment with green (parks, trees) or blue (rivers, lakes) elements is fair game.
Here are five really tempting reasons to lace up your snow boots, throw on your coziest layers, and safely enjoy the final weeks of the season outdoors.
1. Time in the Cold Can Restore the Mind
Decades of research support what many of us intuitively know: spending time in nature improves wellbeing by alleviating stress.
“There is overwhelming evidence that nature, in general, tends to improve mental health,” says Sara LoTemplio, an assistant professor in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Vermont who studies the link between the outdoors and psychological health. While much of this evidence comes from research conducted in pleasant, warm weather, she says, there is compelling data emerging from studies on cold weather’s health effects, as well.
For example, in a study published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 62 college students in Poland were asked to walk for 15 minutes through either a city center or an urban deciduous forest in the dead of winter; the forest group reported being in a better mood and feeling more mentally restored—no vibrant green leaves or chattering birdsong needed. In Finland, a similar study had students observe both buildings and trees blanketed in snow, but only viewing the trees decreased negative mood states like anxiety. Another study found that walking in nature might protect against mental health disorders and reduce rumination.
Spending at least 120 minutes a week outside, according to research, seems to be a threshold for reaping these wellbeing benefits.
2. Getting Outside in Winter May Boost Longevity
“In the winter, you have to remain physically active to stay warm,” says Tytti Pasanen, the senior researcher in environmental epidemiology at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. According to a 2019 review, exercising in cold weather may improve mitochondrial biogenesis (the process of making new mitochondria cells). This is a crucial function as mitochondria are the tiny organelles in cells that provide 90 percent of the energy needed to power your body, and poor-functioning mitochondria can lead to cellular aging.
Cold weather exposure may improve longevity, as research from a 2025 review suggests that chillier environments reduce inflammation, which is associated with aging and age-related diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
That same 2025 review notes that cold weather can offer anti-aging benefits such as decreased oxidative stress (a process that damages cells and tissues) and improved metabolic health, which refers to how efficiently the body uses nutrients and energy.
3. Sunlight Offers Vitamin D Supply in Some Areas
Unless you live in tropical regions with strong sun year-round, your body probably produces less vitamin D in the winter. As the sun sets earlier, you have a shorter window to get ultraviolet light, which your body converts into vitamin D, and UV rays are strongest when the sun is at its apex, not when it’s rising or setting. Considering that around 90 percent of our vitamin D supply comes from the sun, it’s clear why many people are low in the nutrient in colder months.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with bone health issues, weak muscles, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Prioritizing spending at least some time in natural light every day during winter is one way to boost vitamin D levels; just try to get outside (with sunscreen) for at least 20 minutes each day. The best time to go is around noon, when UVB rays are strongest.
It’s important to note that for people living above 40 degrees north of the equator—the 40th north parallel of latitude nearly cuts the United States in half—or 40 degrees south of it, you’ll likely make little to no vitamin D in the winter months. (You can view this interactive latitude/longitude map and select the “human geography” base map layout to figure out your location relative to the equator.) In these cases, your best bet is to get vitamin D from foods such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and cheese, or a supplement.
4. Winter Brings an Increasingly Rare Luxury: Quiet
Winter tends to be the least noisy season—and if you live in a city or busy town, this silence can be a luxury. Research shows that finding moments of quiet in an increasingly loud world can boost mood, increase feelings of relaxation, and make us feel more grounded in the present moment.
The next time you venture outside after a snowstorm or before the dawn of a winter morning, try taking off headphones. Tune into the silence.
5. Opportunities for Awe Are Everywhere
Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a nature therapy researcher based in Japan, sees winter as a time of transformation. “Although winter in Japan is cold, the atmosphere and scenery—such as the appearance of plants—change completely, offering their own beauty,” he says.
By covering mountains in snow and stripping trees down to their bark, the season presents ample ways to feel awe: the emotion that arises when you experience or witness something that challenges your perceptions of the world or makes you feel small. Awe isn’t just nice to have: research suggests it’s a pathway to a more meaningful, more connected, and all-around healthier life.
To seek out awe, orient yourself to the beauty of the season’s landscape: the patterns of bare branches, the chunks of ice like shattered glass, and the animals that make a playground out of it all.
Once you start tuning into the details of the winter environment, spring’s arrival will seem all the more spectacular.
No matter how you choose to spend time in the cold, just make sure you do so safely: wear proper gear, choose routes you’re familiar with, and, in the event of particularly gnarly conditions, take your workout indoors instead.
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