OK so I know it might be a bit early for this type of blog post, considering so many of us are on Christmas mode, but we all know just as soon as Xmas & New Years is over we become grumpy, angry, moody, and even the happiest most anally retentive Christmas Spirit can turn into Scrooge. Bahhhh Humbug!
If an effort to derail our winter blues before the even near the Union station of our minds, I've listed a few easy tips and wellness habits you can incorporate to stay happy, fit, and active all winter long.
#1) Keep exercising! - Even when is blistering cold out, snow squalls seem never ending, and it's dark at 4pm, remember to keep motivated to exercise. Cardiovascular exercise along with weight training will make sure your endorphins are flowing, and your mood elevated. When the weather turns ugly we have a natural reaction to want to stay in doors, curl up in a ball on our couch, and eat eat eat...Try to avoid this hibernation habit at all costs. You may think you're doing the correct thing to feel better, but in reality you're making it harder for yourself. You may not sleep as well, and you may find it harder to get up and go about your daily routine.
I recommend 45 minutes of cardiovascular activity at least 4 times a week. This will keep you energized, your blood sugar levels normal, and most of all keep your mood elevated and happy! Hop on a treadmill, or bundle up and go for a walk outside. Make snow angels, a snow fort, or have a snowball fight!! Go tobogganing, or skiing!
If you would rather stay indoors and exercise, but don't have a gym or cardiovascular equipment. RUN stairs!!! Yes that's right, run up and down the stairs in your home. Up and down, up and down for 45 minutes, or until you are exhausted! Running stairs is also a great way to build and shape your Gluet's (butt).
#2) Vitamin D! - The lack of Vitamin D is also a factor that affects SAD. Most of us know that we get our normal daily dose of vit D from the sun during the warmer Spring & Summer months when we can actually go outside in nothing more than shorts and a tee. But this is not the case in the winter month's. Unless you are a Polar Bear.
I recommend taking a vitamin D supplement during the cold, dark winter monhts if you are not already taking a mulit vitamin. If you are taking a multi-V, then both are not necessary, just one or the other. Muli-V's usually have enough vit-D. You can get it in a pill form, or in a liquid drop form that can be added to any food. A small dose can be taken every other day.
#3 Indoor Tanning! - Now I'm not normally a huge fan of indoor tanning salons, they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
bad for your skin, and have been proven to cause skin cancer. I used to tan a lot in my younger years, and now I'm paying the price. I'm 28 and have tons of lines around my eyes, and bad crows feet.
But if you feel like you could use a boost of warm fake sun rays, then once or twice a week for 10-12 minutes in a low watt bed should be ok. Please use a tanning cream with an SPF. Yes they have them. It's like SPF 1 or 2, but it ensure you don't burn. Also, cover your eyes, and face! Use the towels provided. Trust me when I say you don't want to look 38 when you're 28. And don't forget to moisturise daily to keep that bit of golden brown colour you'll get.
I love Firming Body Lotion Advanced Q10 Complex. Keeps my skin baby bum smooth.
#4 Stay Social! - We are social entities by nature, so please don't cut yourself off from the rest of civilization when the cold hits. Make sure you are still going out to visit friends and family regularly. Vent about your daily lives, go shopping, have (or go to) dinner/holidays parties, etc. (But don't drink too much. Alcohol is a depressant) It's really important to have good friends and family to help you through the hard times, especially if you're feeling SAD.
SAD is commonly linked to ADD so people with both need to follow this advice even more rigorously, I know from first hand experience with both ;-)
ReplyDelete