Torrential rain blasts the streets, the howling southerlies batter the trees and shop signs rattle loosely on the pavements.
It's one of the worst days Dunedin has to offer, but regardless, there I am, smack in the middle of it, wearing nothing but my running shorts.
Pushing play.
Biting the bullet.
There are few experiences that can compared to the feeling of running near naked in a winter storm.
The cold bites at my skin, bathing me completely, washing away my worries and making me feel alive.
It's the whip of the wind in my face and the sense of complete freedom that comes from exercising that reminds me why I love getting into it.
Of course, there are other reasons to break out a sweat.
It's no secret that regular beep tests, push-ups and lunges aid weight loss, boost immune systems, help memory function and reduce the risk of serious health issues.
Why then isn't everyone jogging to work and busting out the swiss ball before dinner?A shocking 20% of New Zealand adults are overweight - a small fraction of the world's 1.5 billion obese people, but a scary statistic.
Surely, if we all strapped on some Nike Free Runners and got out the door, then it would be problem solved, right?The truth is, this is easier said than done.
Our modern world is dictated by routine, back-to-back school days, assessments, after school jobs, all juggled with a social life, family commitments and, if you're lucky, a love life.
It is hard to muster motivation for anything extra.
I wouldn't be alone in admitting to feeling trapped by it all.
Unfortunately, the freedom to be spontaneous and adventurous is always the first casualty.
A stressful lifestyle manifests in the human body in the form of anxiety, tense muscles and interrupted sleep patterns.
This makes it so easy to drop exercise in favour of crashing out on the couch.
It's a guilty defeat that even the fittest of athletes succumbs to - a surrender, combined with unhealthy eating habits and bad genetics, which becomes the perfect incubator for obesity.
How then, do we break out of this vicious cycle? You guessed it.
By getting active.
The key to stress busting is as simple as getting your A into G.
Do some star jumps during ad breaks!You can think of it as an anti-stress drug.
One quick hit and bang! A shot of dopamine, glutamide, adrenalin and serotonin smacks your brain, coupled with a potent cocktail of anti-depressants, endorphins and growth hormone.
It's like a steroid, an upper and a pleasant downer all in one.
The resulting exercise-induced euphoria can last for three or four days, but the real benefits come from long-term abuse.
Regular dosages will lead to heightened mood, beautiful dreamy sleeps, a super quick brain and, most importantly, massive sex appeal.
You'll be feeling so good you won't have time to feel stressed.
So could the answer to all our problems and day-to-day unhappiness be 10 push-ups before breakfast?For millions of years, moving our muscles has benefited us.
Whether it be the same man who chased and killed his dinner, the woman who loaded the catapult or Johnny who runs for the bus, it is obvious the human body was designed to move.
How foolish would we be to ever think otherwise? How can we deny the positive effects moving can have on our lives?It is therefore, in all likelihood that when you ask me on the next miserable afternoon, if I will be out in the rain, getting into it, my answer will be, "No".
Who am I kidding?
I'll be lounging by the fire with a hot Milo, admitting my defeat once again.
- Geoffrey Wigley
