How To Keep Your Health In Check During The Winter Months

While we’ve been appreciating plenty of things about the coldest season of the year, like winter holidays, bundling up with a book and hot cup of tea, and plenty of baked goods… winter can have an adverse effect on your health and workouts if you let the cold weather derail your workouts and eating plan.

With all that said, it’s important to keep your health in check – click on through to find out how. 

This article was written by our friends at PrettyFit

With shorter days, it means less leisure time while the sun is out during the workout day. This is bad news for our bodies because it makes Vitamin D deficiencies more relevant.

We get most of our Vitamin D through sunlight, as few foods are naturally great sources of it. Therefore, it is wise to take a Vitamin D supplement during the winter as Vitamin D is critical for bone health, muscular function, cognition and reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease.   

Winter weather often means you’ll be cooped up in the office, home and bar all winter. Being indoors this much can cause the “winter blues” and negatively affect your mood. So whether it’s jogging, skiing, skating, or any other wintertime activity, mix it up at least once a week and get a sweat on outdoors. Not only will the cold chill be invigorating, but also your mood will improve.

If you’re into running, running in the snow burns more calories than dry weather runs, as there’s more resistance. Just make sure you have some great trail running shoes with good traction. When running in the snow, use a shorter stride for better control and start by running slower than your normal, dry weather gait. Stick to flat ground and try to run on fresh powder rather than old, hardened snow pack.

SEE ALSO >>> How Trail Running Benefits Different Types Of Athletes

Unless you have a winter Cabo trip lined up, chances are you won’t need to show off your bikini body any time soon. So instead of training for fat-loss this winter, make strength and muscle gain your top priority. Remember, this doesn’t mean you won’t get lean while training for strength, it’s just a shift in focus. This will give you a great base layer of muscle so when spring rolls around you’ll be feeling strong and lean.

That being said, make sure you have a structured workout program to follow. It’s much easier to slack off when you don’t workout with a purpose so having a structure program will keep you honest through the colder months. 

With the cold weather and less time in the sun comes colds and flus so make sure your immune system is in top shape. Stock up on probiotic and prebiotic foods like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut and other pickled foods to keep your digestion and immune system healthy.

Also, drink a cup of green tea or black tea every day. Their anti-viral properties make them the perfect cold weather drink.

Furthermore, try a whey protein supplement to not only boost muscle growth, workout recovery and fat loss efforts, but to improve your immune system as well. Studies show that whey can boost immune system related proteins and help provide anti-inflammatory support. For more info, check out, “Best Protein Powder For Women: How To Choose“.

We all know darker days caused by Daylight saving time and colder weather can cause the blues, so set small fitness goals each week to boost your mood and progress.

Another way to beat the winter blues and keep you working out is by trying something new! Whether it’s yoga, cross fit, kettle bells, dance class, or a lunch hour fitness class with your coworkers, find something to look forward to. 

Do you work out in the mornings? You might be less inclined to do this if it’s dark when you wake up in the morning. To combat this, try setting your alarm clock on a desk or table at least a few feet away from your bed, forcing you to get out of bed to shut it off. After a week or so this will become second nature and waking up for your morning workouts will become easier and easier. 

Cold weather and weight gain go hand in hand. The usual culprit is the increased amount of hearty foods, baked goods, heavy beers, and holiday binges.

Here are some in season winter fruits and vegetables that will help you balance the bad with the good. Try adding a few of these into your nutrition plan to spice things up:

• Dark, leafy greens: kale, chard and collards.
• Roots and cruciferous veggies: Beets, turnips, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower.
• Citrus: Grapefruit, tangerines, oranges, clementines.
• Winter squash: Butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash.