The Way To Winter Wellness

by: Maggie Potter

The start of colder weather can also be the start of the long, slow death of your workout regimen and healthy lifestyle. The colder weather can make it more difficult to find the motivation to workout outdoors, while the numerous holidays that come along towards the end of the year can put your diet on permanent hold.

Finding the means to stay dedicated to your health routine can be challenging, but for those who really want to, it is completely possible. Turns out, winter does not have to be the end of all the positive strides you made over the summer. It just takes a little more planning and maybe a bit of a changeup of your regular plans.

In order to maintain your health and wellness this year, it is important to consider your winter workout regimen, how you manage stress, and how you’re going to avoid illness. Below are ways to combat all three! 

Winter Workouts

There are plenty of ways to maintain a great workout schedule during the winter months. For some, nothing really needs to change except maybe the attire they are running in. Rather than shorts and a sports bra, they layer up with some thick leggings, fleece jackets, and earmuffs. With a determined attitude, running outside all year is completely accessible. 

However, for most of us, the idea of running outdoors in sub-zero temperatures makes us feel ready to give up exercise altogether. Not so fast! There are numerous ways to workout indoors. If running is your thing, try an indoor track or a treadmill. Treadmills get a bad rap, but there are ways to help improve your treadmill workout and make them less boring.

Alternatively, you could look into switching up your workout completely. Perhaps you should pick up a class such as yoga, kickboxing, or cycling. Maybe figure out how to safely use workout equipment and try some weight lifting. Studies indicate that changing up the type of workout you do throughout the year can actually have a greater positive impact on the number of calories you burn and keep you from hitting a workout plateau. 

Stress Management

Too much stress is never good for anyone regardless of the season. But during the winter, high stress levels can lead to a lot more heartache. This is because high stress can reduce the productivity of your immune system, making you more likely to come down with a cold or the flu. Beings most people get ill during the colder months due to closer human contact (like being in the office, going to conferences more frequently, or the kids being at school).

One of the best ways to help reduce stress is to take a long hard look at the things that are triggering your stress. Do you have to have them in your life? Are there ways to limit your exposure? Surprisingly, most of the ways to create a more stress-free environment are relatively simple. 

Spend less time scrolling the internet and your social media accounts on your smart device. Get exercise (double bonus!) and make sure you are getting enough sleep. Consider using relaxing essential oils or a sunrise alarm to supplement your days.

Preventing Illness

Finally, one of the most obvious keys to being successful at winter wellness is to avoid getting sick this winter. There are plenty of ways to help protect yourself, many with scientifically backed evidence. Things such as washing your hands, getting enough sleep, keeping up a regular exercise routine, and eating a healthy diet with lots of greens are some of the best ways to ensure you will avoid coming down with something undesirable. 

The majority of doctors recommend that you get a flu shot every year, and most locations offer them for free or for a really small fee. Likewise, take care to get all of your preventative health screenings done throughout the year and take care of yourself. There are a number of women-specific health concerns to watch out for and keep tabs on as you get older. 

If you do get sick this winter it won’t be the end of the world — even if the weather is too nasty to make it in to a doctor’s office. The advent of technology has made telemedicine a very real option for diagnosing simple things like the flu, for example. This can save you the hassle of scheduling and making it to an appointment if you feel really down in the dumps. 

Staying healthy and maintaining a good routine all winter is completely within reach. There are many ways to keep up a great workout schedule throughout the winter. Likewise, you can work to de-stress your life and prevent illness — all part of a great winter wellness plan designed for you!