How to Stay Healthy in Colder Weather

Ciao lovelies! As the Northern Hemisphere moves further into Fall and soon into Winter, a big factor comes looming over the horizon- Cold Weather. It’s hard to maintain health in these months (both mental and physical health) as the days get shorter, colder, and we get less sun. It becomes harder to maintain health and stay active. Today, I’d like to share some tips on how to manage your health as the weather gets colder.

How to Stay Healthy in Colder Weather

Staying Active

Seasonal depression and the cold, harsh weather outside may discourage you from staying active in the winter, but you should still get some activity daily in order to stay healthy! A big way to stay active in the winter is doing Indoor Exercises, like Yoga or Dance. I might be super busy as a college student, but I think I’m going to try to wake up earlier in the Winter to do a small Yoga session before class. Just staying active in any ways that you can will really make a difference in both physical and mental health.

Getting Necessary Vitamins and Nutrients

It can be hard to get certain vitamins in Winter (Vitamin D from the sun, for example). If a doctor says it’s ok, try taking supplemental vitamins like a multivitamin or just taking Vitamin D and B12 pills. (PLEASE get permission from a Doctor or other health professional before starting any sort of supplement!) Vitamin D is often diminished during Winter as sun exposure drops, and B-12 is good for energy levels.

Make sure also to look at what you’re eating. While certain fruits and vegetables might get more expensive during Winter, or even become unavailable in certain areas, try seeing what local fruits and veggies are grown in the colder months. Eating locally helps cut back on your carbon footprint which is great for the environment, but also eating locally can help you get fresher food!

Even if you don’t have access to a lot of fruit, try at least having some lemon slices or orange slices in your water. Vitamin C is highly necessary during colder months to help you not get sick (or recover from being sick faster!)

Illness Prevention

While vitamins, nutrients, and diet play a big role in illness prevention during Winter, there are some other simple ways you can keep yourself healthy too.

Bundling up is a big way to stay healthy, to avoid things like pneumonia or a cold. (Of course, you can still get these even while bundled up, but it could help). Oh, and it’s often said that you lose heat through the feet, extremities and head, so be sure to cover your feet, hands and head!

Another big way to prevent illness was mentioned above in the nutrients and vitamins header- Vitamin C. If you find that you can’t get enough of this through food, ask your doctor about a supplement.

Mental Health

Seasonal depression affects many individuals, so know that you’re not alone if you experience depression or worsening depression symptoms during the colder seasons. All of the methods listed so far in this post can help with the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

A big thing to keep in mind regarding your mental health is to develop a Support System. Finding a few people that you can reach out to when you’re not feeling your best is very important. I also recommend trying 7 Cups of Tea, an online guided mindfulness program that also has volunteer “listeners” who you can talk to about what’s bothering you. I prefer to talk to the chat-bot Noni because of my social anxiety, but others may choose to talk to a person.

OVERALL

Be sure to stay on top of your health this Winter. It’s so easy to slip and become sick or unwell, and then have to run on empty, so be sure to take care of yourself! There is no shame in needing a day to yourself.

How do you stay healthy in the winter? Leave a comment below to tell us how you stay healthy in colder seasons!

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