Have you ever considered the effect of winter daylight saving time on your activity or that of your children?

Experts at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Bristol have found that children’s activity levels in particular drop by 15-20% in the winter.

We found this BBC News article interesting as it considers the effects of the proposal to not turn back the clocks every October in the UK on public health. Researchers believe that moving the clocks forward by one extra hour all year round could lead to children getting more exercise every day, boosting their health and wellbeing.

More evening daylight can help keep us all active for longer, not just our children. Be honest, who wants to go out running when it’s dark and cold as you arrive home from work? We’ll bet it’s only the most dedicated of runners!

If you love to run outdoors, consider taking a run in the early morning instead – if your schedule allows it. Getting a daily dose of morning sunlight can certainly help to boost your mood and help fight symptoms of seasonal affective disorder too.

An alternative during the winter months is, of course, running in the gym instead. Treadmill running can replace running outdoors – and means you don’t have to get wet and cold to keep up with your training. Researchers have found that setting a treadmill at a gradient of 1% compensates for wind resistance and perfectly replicates outdoor running.

It’s an alternative that can keep you running all year round. Even so, roll on springtime!