Health and fitness are important to both your longevity and your quality, of life. However, the modern era offers you everything you need with minimal effort, and that can make healthy choices counterintuitive. This is even more true when summer gives way to cooler months, further de-incentivizing getting outside for a jog. Holiday eating gets out of control, and the colder temps makes it harder to work off your holiday feasts. We’re here to help you!
Great ways to work off your holiday feasts
Here are some tips to help you stay on top of your health without going out in the cold.
Your Diet
Your diet has a major role to play in your overall health. However, many people indulge too often in convenient options instead of healthy ones. This is largely due to being “too busy,” but there are ways to make a healthy diet fit into your schedule. For instance, meal prepping! Meal prepping allows you to consolidate a week’s worth of cooking into a single day.
However, colder weather incentivizes cooking on a regular basis as a way of warming up and feeding yourself in one fell swoop. In either case, cooking your own meals is a fantastic way of taking control over your diet, so making time for cooking is essential.
Dietary Supplements
In addition to your diet proper, you can use dietary supplements to further round out your diet and fill in any remaining nutrition gaps. This is especially important when it comes to vitamin supplements in colder months. For starters, the best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, something in short supply when the weather becomes inhospitable and the days themselves become shorter.
Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system, and that becomes all the more important as the common cold starts making its yearly rounds as the seasons change. However, other dietary supplements have a place in a healthy lifestyle. For example, you can look for Total Restore offers in order to stock up on health boosting supplements, or you can use protein powder and pre workout supplements to fuel your fitness routine.
Your Workout
While a nice walk around the neighborhood or a hike in the woods can be a great way to stay in shape, the same isn’t as true when you’re trekking through snow in below freezing temperatures. That means your workout needs a warmup. Going to the gym can provide everything you need in the form of high end workout gear (if your local gyms are open during the Pandemic).
However, there are plenty of alternatives to bring the gym experience into your home. You can spring for comparable equipment, but that can break the bank for some. For a more modest price tag, you can procure a more modest set of tools that will give you the workout you need in the comfort and, more importantly, the warmth of your own home. While cold weather makes you want to be less active, fall and winter holidays incentivize huge meals that can cause you to really pack on the pounds if you’re not careful.
Mental Health
Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as seasonal depression, is a mental illness that is dependent on the lack of light in winter months. This condition is treatable with social engagement and light therapy. However, mental illnesses of all kinds can be difficult to spot, especially within yourself. Spending time with friends and family during these times can make a world of difference.
Staying in shape is hard at the best of times, thanks to luxuries like fast food and television. This problem is compounded by less than ideal weather conditions. However, there are solutions if you’re willing to look for them. These tips will help you stay in shape and maintain your weight this winter.
About the Writer: Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health and fitness. She also developed a passion for traveling during her college years. Today she spends most of her time writing about the things she loves.
