Healthy Women Image

Joseph Ciccolo, PhD

Joseph T. Ciccolo, Ph.D., is a Program Director in the Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) within the Behavioral Research Program (BRP) of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). His primary research interests are broadly focused on the efficacy of novel clinical treatments for addiction and mental illness. His specific area of interest has been cigarette smoking cessation in high-risk and hard-to-reach populations. He is particularly interested in mechanisms of change and behavioral strategies that can be used to help smokers quit.

Prior to joining NCI, Dr. Ciccolo was the Principal Investigator of multiple NIH-funded clinical trials, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Sciences at Teachers College, Columbia University. He also was a regular grant reviewer for the Center for Scientific Review and has served as a Senior Associate Editor and an editorial board member for several scientific journals. To date, Dr. Ciccolo has authored over 70 original scientific papers, reviews, and other publications. After receiving his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, he completed an NIH-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Full Bio
woman exercising indoors

Exercising Indoors Versus Outdoors

Ask the Expert

Q:

During the winter, do you burn more calories exercising outside than you do when exercising inside? Or does air temperature not play a role?


A:

The calories burned for any exercise remain constant for that exercise, with the number of calories used depending upon individual differences such as body weight and muscle mass. What changes with temperature (and humidity) is how you feel when you exercise. It's important to be aware of both factors when choosing an exercise environment.

When exercising in cold weather, the heat generated helps your body maintain its core temperature and feel relatively comfortable. A short warm-up and stretch are important precautions to take in cold temperatures to get your muscles ready for exercise.

In a warm or hot environment, your core temperature is already met and may rise further if it cannot rid itself of heat by sweating. Wearing less clothing is helpful, but air humidity is a major factor. To reduce body heat, you need to sweat and have that sweat evaporate. When humidity is high, the air is saturated with water, and very little evaporation can occur. That may prevent heat reduction.

You might be interested in