Winter Proofing Your Health Game

Winter can be tough for those of us who prioritize good health. Here is a brief list of some of the forces working against us:

1. Days are shorter and so there is less time to spend outside and move our bodies.

2. It’s colder and less comfortable for some so we are less likely to spend those fewer hours outside.

3. There is less sunlight and so Vitamin D is less naturally available.

4. Less sunlight increases the risk of negative mood and even depression.

5. We are biologically predisposed to add pounds during the Winter as a means of insulation.

6. The holidays literally feed this disposition by making poor food and drink choices plentifully available.

So what’s the plan? Here’s a few things I do to keep this all in check and to thrive during the colder months.

Embrace Contrarianism

This one is big and applies to a lot more than Winter Proofing Your Health Game.

We live in a cultural environment that does not promote wellness. So being a contrarian, while difficult in markets, can be a superpower for staying healthy. 

If you have a defiant streak already this one will be easier for you.

When you see everyone else drinking too much, drink less. Stuff yourself on turkey instead of pie - or just have steak and eggs for Thanksgiving. You’ll be glad you did. 

Wake up on New Year's Day after having zero drinks the night before. You’ll feel great and have the day off to romp with joy while others are dragging.

Eat pumpkin seeds instead of pumpkin pie. They're healthy af and have no added garbage sugar.

Make the Trend Your Friend

We don’t have to lose a ton of weight all at once if we are playing the long game.

If we think of increasing wellness as a long term endeavor, which is wise, and, if weight is an issue, which is common, then all we have to do every Winter is make a lower high.

Think of your top weight last Winter. If your top weight this Winter is lower than that, your long term trend is lower. Repeat this next Winter. 

This is what a downtrend looks like to market technicians:

Keep an Eye on the Weather

There are going to be days that are great for getting outside. Keep an eye on the weather and plan accordingly.

Today happens to be one of them in the Northeast and I am getting the heck outside and hiking in Mahwah once I finish this post. In fact, most of the week looks good, so find an hour here or there.

Beautiful days from November through March are worth more than gold. I use the Google Weather App 10 Day Forecast and schedule an hour outdoors midday if manageable anytime I see a good day even a week out.

Push Ups and Pull Ups

There are things we can do indoors that promote health and body weight resistance is at the top of the list. If you are not doing it or have been slacking, winter is a great time to begin working that angle.

Here’s a post I wrote about getting started strength training all doable in our homes.

Tune Lighting to Our Circadian Rhythm

When we wake up in the morning, turn the lights up. We want lots of light early in the day. Then, dim the lights later in the day. We want darkness at night.

This is tuning to Circadian Rhythm and will help us sleep better and start the day with more energy and a positive mood.

Do the Phone Drawer

Ok, so here’s the deal here. Our phones are poison and we are all poisoning ourselves. One way to minimize this fact is to dedicate a drawer in our homes for storing the phone. 

Then, we put our phones in this drawer in the evening and leave it there until morning.

This is great all year round and we do it with the kids too but the added Winter benefit relates to the section above. That phone light at night is bad.

This is our phone drawer:

Hat, Gloves, and Socks

Get a good hat, gloves, and socks and wear them.

If we are going to get outside and move even when it is cold, these supplies make it tolerable. This is worth the money. 

I go to an outdoors store like North Face or REI and find someone there who is helpful.

If you have more great ideas, please leave them for me and others in the comments below.

Have a great day everyone!