Top Ten Tips for Keeping Fit in the Winter Months

 

 

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere with cold winters, it can be more of a challenge to stay fit and healthy between the months of November and March until the weather starts to warm up again.

We share ten of our top tips to make it easier for you to stay fit and healthy - and cheerful!

Antioxidants

With the cold weather of winter, it becomes more important than ever to consume foods that are high in antioxidants - foods such as berries, citrus fruits and leafy greens.  They help to support your immune system as well as protecting your skin from any harsh winter conditions.

Hair 

Winter can be harsh on your hair because of the colder weather conditions, central heating  as well as the lack of moisture in the atmosphere.

To stop your hair from feeling dry and brittle from the cold, our Simply Hair Oil is 100% natural, safe and gentle helping to nourish and hydrate your hair as well as improve texture and shine.  Apply a small amount to the palm of your hand. Then with your fingers, work the oil evenly throughout damp or dry hair.  

Dehydration 

We might not consider this to be a problem in the colder, winter months but we should be careful to drink enough at this time of the year too.  When we do not have enough fluids in our bodies, circulation decreases, moving blood away from our extremities and increasing our feeling of being cold. 

While different factors affect how much you need to drink each day, a good rule of thumb is two tablespoons of water for every two pounds of body weight, increasing with exercise levels and also if you drink coffee or alcohol - two typical dehydration contributors.  In place of water some of the time, try herbal teas for a warming brew.

Joints 

As temperatures get lower, you might not realise that this in turn affects your body temperature and the vulnerabilities that can be exposed. Some will find that their range of motion is more limited especially on waking and particularly in the hips.  This can in turn affect the lower back.  If this is you, take a little time before putting on your socks and other activities requiring hip mobility.  Just a five minutes delay gives you a chance to get moving and elevate your body temperature.  

In addition, if arthritis is a problem in your joints, our H-Arthritis Formula when applied topically will quickly relieve discomfort and stiffness. Improvement is ongoing as you continue using the formula and only a small amount is needed for each application. 

Dry eyes

With the colder weather, come some unique challenges for our eyes and their health.  Heating can cause indoor air to become quite dry, sometimes leaving your eyes feeling parched.  Keep a bottle of eye drops handy (ideally in the refrigerator) to relieve that dryness - and use when needed.

Lips 

Our lips become more vulnerable in cold weather and during other harsh conditions because they have no glands and very little melanin (pigment).  If your lips are exposed to cold and wind, they are unable to moisturise themselves.  Be wary of using lip balms with their fragrances and flavors because they can cause hypersensitivity reactions.  They even contain ingredients that can exacerbate lip dryness.

Ideally, Simply Vitamin Skin Oil will provide a safe and 100 per cent deep moisturizing treatment both to your lips and to your skin in general.  Apply a generous amount to face and neck just before bed and your lips and skin will be luminous and balanced when you wake up!  You may use every night or a few times a week as you prefer. Nightly use will keep your lips and skin plump, well nourished and balanced. 

 

Gut health 

This is important all year round but winter can make things more tricky with lower exercise levels, higher chances of catching viral or bacterial infections, changes to your mood as well as drinking more alcohol over the festive holidays. 

Gut health is super important affecting everything from your immunity to your mental wellbeing,  Make sure to eat a nutritious diet that is rich in fiber and fermented foods such as kefir and sauerkraut.  In addition, supplementing with a proven probiotic can be very helpful.

Sleep 

Sadly, even a small loss of sleep can impair your immune function with research finding that those who sleep less than seven hours are almost four and a half times more likely to develop a common cold.  In order to sleep better especially in the winter, remember that we sleep better in a cooler environment with the ideal bedroom temperature said to be between 16 to 17 C.  For better sleep, switch off the heating at night and swap the lightweight summer duvet for a higher tog.

An additional aid for sleep is our H-Sleep Aid Formula where you massage one or two drops on the temples and back of the neck thirty minutes before bedtime. If you wake up during the night, you can reapply.  The formula has ingredients that are soothing, helping you to relax so you can enjoy a good night's rest safely and naturally. 

Teeth 

Sudden temperature changes during winter between indoors and outdoors can leave our teeth more sensitive.  And we may even be more inclined to clench our jaws, putting more pressure on our teeth which can, over time, cause more erosion in the protective layers of the teeth.  

You can try to avoid breathing through the mouth during colder temperatures  while being aware when you start to clench your jaw.

Colder weather can also tempt us to indulge in more sugary treats in the form of comfort food to the further detriment of our teeth health.

Vitamins 

These become more vital than ever during the winter months...

Top of the list is Vitamin D and even if you are in the sun exposing as much skin as possible for at least twenty minutes a day during the warmer months, you are not able to store enough vitamin D for the winter months. Ideally, a blood test can give you your vitamin D as many people are actually deficient.  In the meantime, the suggested supplement dose is 4000 to 5000 IUs daily to boost your levels. Taking with butter or coconut oil will help with absorption as will Vitamin K2 and Magnesium.  Vitamin K2 can be found in Brie cheese but you can also take a Vitamin K2 supplement a couple of times a week along with a magnesium supplement daily.

And second on the list is Vitamin C.  A good suggestion is to take a daily 1000 mg to protect from sniffles, colds and flu year-round.  If you feel the start of being unwell, immediately take 1000 mg and then keep taking same dose every few hours.  If you take about five such doses through the day, you will often find you stop the problem completely.  You can keep taking Vitamin C to bowel intolerance so no risk of overdosing.

 

 

SOURCES: 

Benetti, C., et al. (2015). Therapeutic effects of vitamin D in asthma and allergy [Abstract].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25985947. (Accessed, 2 October 2021).

Conti, P., & Kempuraj, D. (2016). Impact of vitamin D on mast cell activity, immunity and inflammation.
http://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/4/1/6/. (Accessed, 2 October 2021).

Gruber-Bzura, B. M. (2018). Vitamin D and influenza—prevention or therapy?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121423/. (Accessed, 2 October 2021).

7 dermatologist Ttips for healing dry, chapped lips. (n.d.).
aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/heal-dry-chapped-lips. (Accessed, 7 October 2021).