Weather or Not

The weather outside may be frightful, but staying indoors is downright hazardous to your health. To inspire a new way of thinking about winter outings, Dr. Pooja Tandon, TPL’s health director and a pediatrician, explains the perils of a fair-weather outdoor mindset. Whatever your excuse, we have a rebuttal.

By now you know (and might even be tired of us reminding you) that time outdoors is fundamental to your physical and mental well-being. We extoll the benefits of sunlight and rhapsodize about green space. And we back up all those claims with science.

But what happens when all that green turns gray and the sun refuses to shine—for months at a time, it seems, in some parts of the country? It’s easy to think the joy and the benefits of time outside are harder to come by when winter sets in, but the truth is as indisputable as it is surprising. According to Tandon, there’s plenty of upside to less-desirable weather—for your health and for your outdoor enjoyment. And there’s plenty of downside to avoiding it. Read on for her expert advice.

Your Excuse: It’s too wet.

Dr. Tandon’s Response: Getting wet does not make you sick; viruses do. As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re more likely to get exposed to viruses indoors. So during these winter months when flu, Covid, RSV and other viruses are circulating, you are less likely to get exposed outdoors. Just make sure you’re dressed for the weather and can be comfortable outdoors, even for short periods.

A Tandon-backed TPL Rx: Twenty to 30 minutes of rainy-day puddle-jumping.
If you’re loathe to venture into the soggy soup, buddy up with your favorite youngster. You won’t have to ask them twice. Stay close to home, so you can quickly change out of wet clothes and shoes when you’re done. Splash along the sidewalk, squish through the soggy grass, or frolic through your closest urban forest. Today’s not about mileage or calories burned; it’s about an adventure for your senses, which confers major benefits to your mental health. Plus, rain filters the air and helps release the aromas in leaves and plants, so smell all the sweet smells.

Did You Know: The Pacific Northwest didn’t get its rainy reputation for nothing. But you’ll probably be shocked to learn that clocking in at 267 days and 120 inches of total annual rainfall, Hilo, Hawai‘i, is the country’s rainiest place. All the more reason to visit O.K. Farms at TPL’s Pu‘u‘eo Mauka project—rainy day or not. One of the largest producers of tropical fruit in the United States, the farm also provides hearts of palm and grows its own brand of Rainbow Falls Hilo Coffee, enhancing local food security through farm boxes and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs. Take a stroll through the lush vineyards and farm rows, where you can smell the sweet aroma of tropical fruits, including lychee, longan, rambutan, and citrus, as well as spices such as cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.

Your Excuse: It’s too cold.

Dr. Tandon’s Response: Cold weather can feel like a hard stop, but biologically speaking, our bodies are built to handle it, especially when we’re moving. When you’re active outside, your body generates heat, circulation increases, and cold quickly becomes manageable. Even brief bouts of outdoor activity in colder temperatures can boost mood, sharpen focus, and support immune function. And while winter sunlight may be weaker, daylight exposure still plays an important role in regulating sleep and circadian rhythms, something many of us struggle with during the darker months.

A Tandon-backed TPL Rx: Sixty to 90 minutes of moderate to strenuous cardio.
Follow all the rules that we won’t insult you by expounding (hat, layers, no-cotton, etc.); then go for gain—elevation gain, that is. We’re not saying you have to summit a fourteener (although winter crowds are delightfully light on those peaks), but a leisurely stroll won’t warm you up the way an uphill climb will. And you might as well reward your pluck with a nice view, don’t you think?

And take a soothing beverage (think herbal tea or golden milk) with you: A warm drink won’t turn winter into summer—but it can take the edge off the cold, keep you hydrated, and make outdoor time feel a little more inviting. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get out the door.

Did You Know: You want cold? Pittsburgh’s got cold. You want steep? It’s got that too. Hillsides climb straight up out of the famed Three Rivers. The heart-pumping hiking terrain is close-to-home for the 309,000 people who call Steel City home. With help from TPL, Pittsburgh’s making good on its 10-Minute Walk® commitment by restoring the 183-acre Hazelwood Greenway, a favorite urban trail for hiking and snowshoeing. Yinz guys oughtta try it 😉.

Your Excuse: It’s too snowy.

Dr. Tandon’s Response: Try saying that to your kids. There may be no natural wonder grander than a frosted tree or undisturbed expanse of downy snow. Dashing through it has physical benefits, of course, and the cognitive and emotional upsides are undoubtable, if a bit harder to quantify.

A Tandon-backed TPL Rx: Forget “exercise.” Make your snow days about two things: play and mental health. Sledding, building a snowman, or having a snowball fight are just as good for your heart, bones, and muscles as going for a jog. And they’re usually a lot more fun! Plus, have you ever noticed how the world gets quieter, calmer, and seems to slow down during and after snowfall? That’s because snow absorbs sound, tempering noise pollution such as car horns and traffic. And when the snow sticks on surfaces or piles up, it erases flotsam and jetsam like rusty fences, cracked or crumbling pavement, and all manner of urban decay. Nothing cures visual and auditory sensory overload—and the mental chaos and anxiety that come with them—like snow. So get out there and soak it up. Even brief exposures to nature can lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and boost mental clarity.

Did You Know: In many parts of the country, “too much snow” is a downright blasphemous statement. There’s no such thing, as long as you have a good pair of skis or snowshoes at hand. Just ask anyone in Bethel, Maine. In late 2016, the town learned that the future of one of their favorite wintertime spots—a Nordic ski center at the Bethel Village Inn—was in jeopardy. The center’s operator couldn’t break even, and a few days before the scheduled start of the ski season, he abruptly announced he’d be closing up shop.

“People in town had been banking on those trails being open,” says Gabe Perkins, a lifelong Bethel resident and executive director of a local organization called Woods + Trails. The center was an important part of the town’s economy, not to mention being a mainstay in the local volunteers, the high school pitched in to groom the trails, Bethel Inn provided fuel and office space, and Inland Woods + Trails took on day-to-day business operations. Just a month later, the trails were groomed and open for business. Today, the Nordic center is a thriving hub for local skiers, snowshoers, and fat-bike riders in winter, and they’re working to improve running and mountain bike trails on the property for summer.