The winter season is an especially important time of year to be mindful of your health. Taking additional self-care measures can help you prevent illnesses and other problems that can have a negative impact on your health and make getting through the cold season much more difficult. These five tricks can help you stay healthy this winter.
Get Plenty of Exercise
Even though the cold weather and short dark days of winter can deplete your motivation to exercise, it’s still important to stay on top of your fitness routine throughout the season. Regular exercise can help strengthen your immune system to ward off germs and virus attacks that could cause the common cold, influenza, or other illnesses. Committing to a regular workout routine can also be good for your mental health and may even be effective in alleviating symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions that are often more prevalent during the winter. In-home workouts can be great during the winter, or you could also try skiing, ice skating, or other classic winter sports for a good workout.
Maintain a Clean Home
Home cleaning shouldn’t be put off until the spring, and keeping your living space clean during the winter can be one of the best ways to stay healthy. Dust, dirt and other debris particles that circulate throughout your home when the heater is on can make your indoor air dirty, and these particles can also land on other surfaces around your home. People who attend holiday gatherings and other wintertime events that you host in your home can leave behind germs and viruses that can increase your chances of getting sick if you fail to sanitize your living space sufficiently. In addition to dusting, sweeping, and performing other common cleaning tasks, you can clean your home even more thoroughly by using a backpack electrostatic sprayer that emits disinfectant to clean many types of home surfaces.
Try Light Therapy
The shorter days combined with the often cloudy skies of winter can make getting enough sunlight much more difficult. Not getting enough sunlight can increase feelings of depression, and this may be especially true if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Light therapy can help increase your body’s serotonin production, and this may be effective in improving your mood along with your energy levels so that you’ll feel more motivated to stay active and keep yourself healthy during the winter. Desk and floor light therapy lamps that emit light that’s similar to natural sunlight are available to help you beat the blues on even the gloomiest winter days and nights.
Take the Right Supplements
Certain dietary supplements are known to be especially good for taking in the winter, and increasing your intake of these supplements along with eating other healthy foods can help your body. Vitamin D, which is often harder to absorb during the winter because of the lack of sunlight, can be taken in supplement form to help keep your bones strong. Magnesium supplements can help you maintain good metabolism and improve energy levels during the season. Taking zinc supplements may help prevent the common cold. Vitamin E is another supplement that can be excellent for your immune system. If you happen to get sick with a respiratory infection, probiotics may help speed up your recovery time.
Prevent Hypothermia
Freezing cold temperatures can be harmful to your body if the right precautions aren’t taken. Hypothermia, which occurs when the body loses heat at a faster rate than it can produce, often leads to medical emergencies and wearing warm clothes in layers along with hats and gloves while outdoors in cold weather can help you stay safe. Dressing warmly can also help prevent frostbite. Special handwarmer gloves can be worn to give your hands additional warmth. You should consider wearing earmuffs and a scarf if outdoor temperatures are particularly frigid. Getting enough to eat and drink so that the body is better insulated is important as well.
Your health shouldn’t be compromised during the winter, and doing everything that’s necessary to promote a better state of wellbeing can help you make it through the season easier. Taking these additional precautions can make a big difference in how you function and feel throughout the winter.
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