We all know it can sometimes be hard to get motivated to exercise in the winter. Why venture outside for a run when a DVD and duvet day seems so much more inviting? But training can’t always halt for months on end, and braving the cold just has to be done.

Now it seems there is a new, more enjoyable way to run through winter. Lizzy Hawker is introducing runners of the United Kingdom not only to the benefits of running throughout the colder months, but also to a whole new discipline; snow running in the mountains.

She explains how running in -10C temperatures can be exhilarating and refreshing, rather than painful and miserable. Running in the dark presents a problem for many women, but Lizzy suggests heading out as dusk is falling, savouring the colours of the fading sky or being lit by moonlight. Alternatively she suggests going for an early morning run to welcome the day.
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Sportsister meets Lizzy Hawker ^[1]

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Another tip is to give yourself an incentive – enjoy your run and surroundings before treating yourself to a well deserved drink.

Snow running in particular offers many benefits. Running on a different terrain through the mountains can in fact help strength and co-ordination, as well as endurance. The scenery is of course spectacular, and whether it’s running across hard hiking trails or ‘freestyle downhill’ on looser snow, there is many an adventure to be had.

The cold in the mountains is different to that on low land or in cities, and it will not affect bones in the same way, making it easier to enjoy the new experience.

Snow running is fast becoming a popular sport in the US and Alpine countries, but many UK runners are not yet aware of its benefits. Trainers Lizzy Hawker and Franzi Gissler are hoping to change that by offering courses in the Laufschule Scuol.

Technical components are intertwined with the enjoyment of snowy training sessions to allow participants to savour the beauty of winter in the mountains. The courses are held in the spa village of Scuol in the Lower Engadine valley of the Swiss Alps, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.

Lizzy Hawker says, “You have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the natural mineral waters of Scuol. But more than that – you can run with a keen pleasure and feel a new joy running in the sharpness of the winter air.”

For more information visit  www.laufschule-scuol.ch ^[2] or www.lizzyhawker.com ^[3]

Rachel Stansfield, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine