Seasonal Bodies: Weather, Movement, and Wellbeing

Co-organised by the Discovery Research Platform's Moving Bodies Lab, Durham University's Department of Geography, and the Institute for Medical Humanities' Weather, Climate, and Health Research Theme.

Abstract

As climate change intensifies seasonal extremes, the relationship between atmospheric conditions and embodied experience demands renewed attention. This roundtable brings together research on how seasonal rhythms—from summer heat to winter darkness—shape everyday practices, moods, and collective ways of living. Moving beyond purely biomedical or climatological framings, our speakers explore how bodies negotiate, adapt to, and find meaning in seasonal environments. Presentations attend to the sensory, affective, and social dimensions of living through seasons, considering how such experiences might inform more responsive approaches to health promotion and climate adaptation.

Speakers

Antonia Hodgson (University College London) – "Negotiating the weather in recreational running: Exploring how recreational exercise cultures respond to summer heat"

Professor Hester Parr (University of Glasgow) – "Rethinking seasons in light of living with SADness"

Discussant: Maximilian Hepach (Geography, Durham University)

This hybrid event is free to attend; the Zoom link will be circulated closer to the date.

This event is co-organised by Professor Cassandra Phoenix (Moving Bodies Lab Lead) and Dr Rachel Colls (Geographies of Life), in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Humanities' Weather, Climate, and Health Research Theme, co-led by Jed Stevenson (Anthropology), Maximilian Hepach (Geography), and Angela Marques Filipe (Sociology).