Rest is a Winter Sport

Why do different seasons require different approaches to everyday life, and how can we work with the cold as opposed to against it?

By Brooke Elwell

Photo: Carina McCallum

You walk out of your apartment or dorm, and immediately, the bottom of your pants is dragging through the snow. You almost slip and fall on the sidewalk, the freezing air blasts you in the face, and suddenly, going outside and getting where you need to go is objectively much more difficult.

The conditions we endure in the winter months at Boston University are enough to be the sole cause of seasonal depression, but we recognize this time of year must be about adjustment, not failure. Nature itself slows down in winter. Trees lose their leaves, animals hibernate, and the sun disappears before most of us even leave class, yet we often expect ourselves to keep operating at full speed, maintaining the same productivity, motivation, and routines we had in September.

Winter naturally demands more from our bodies than we often realize. Shorter days disrupt sleep, cold air stiffens muscles, and the effort it takes just to get across campus in layers adds up. It makes sense that energy levels drop. However, instead of adjusting, many of us respond by pushing harder: more workouts, stricter routines, and higher expectations. Slowing down isn’t losing discipline; it’s responding intelligently to the season you’re in.

Nowhere is this pressure more obvious than in fitness culture. Social media continues to push “no days off” mentalities, New Year’s resolutions, and extreme winter workout challenges, all while our bodies are naturally craving more rest. It’s okay if your 6 a.m. gym sessions feel harder. It’s okay if you’d rather stretch, walk, or take a lighter workout instead of an intense lifting day. 

Movement in winter doesn’t have to look like pushing yourself to exhaustion. In fact, the hardest exercise might be listening to what your body needs at any given moment. Some days you’ll still have energy for a full workout, and some days your body might need rest more than reps. Both are productive. Grace is understanding that consistency isn’t about perfection; it’s about caring for yourself through changing seasons. 

The pressure to constantly improve, hustle, and push can make winter feel heavier than it already is. But when we allow ourselves to slow down, we create space to recover, reflect, and breathe. Rest becomes part of growth rather than something to feel guilty about.

This season, let winter be milder. Let workouts be gentler when needed. Let missed days go without self-criticism. You are not lazy for feeling tired; you are human responding to the cold, the darkness, and the natural rhythm of the year.

Often, the hardest part of winter isn’t physical exhaustion; it’s the guilt that comes with it. We convince ourselves we’re falling behind or losing discipline, when in reality our bodies are simply adapting. Changing seasons require changing expectations.

Rest is a winter sport, and giving yourself grace might be the healthiest habit you build all season.