Feeling the Winter Blues is Real
Are the cold, dark, shorter days of winter impacting you? You may feel down, irritable and lifeless, like you’ve lost interest in activities you used to enjoy. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, many people feel the winter blues at some point.
Here are 5 ways I like to stop the winter blues for my clients and I:
1. Bust a move with indoor fitness!
During these long winter months, it’s more important than ever to keep moving and eat right! If you absolutely hate the cold weather, than stay active indoors. There are plenty of physical activities to try beyond the usual fitness centres including dance classes, yoga, trampolining and indoor swimming and skating to name a few. This year, my husband and I took up indoor rock climbing at Boulderz; it’s obviously a challenging arm workout, and we soon realized it also requires a ton of core and leg strength to make it through a path.
Stay active during the long, cold months of winter with indoor rock climbing.
2. Be social, especially when getting physical.
If you’re having problems making it to your workouts, find a workout buddy or work with a Personal Trainer who will hold you accountable for showing up to your workout. Getting to your physical activity is the first step; you know you’ll feel better once you get there.
3. Eat right!
Eating a diet filled with veggies, proteins and fibre reduces the feeling of hunger. The concept of “hangry” is so popular, that chocolate bar commercials are joking about it. When we don’t get the nutrients our body and mind needs to keep functioning, we can’t be at our best. Each time I swap my delicious veggie and protein filled salad at lunch for a carb filled sandwich, I feel that dreaded 3pm slump. It’s on these ‘sandwich’ days that I often find myself needing an afternoon nap!
4. Stay away from the ‘sweet’ stuff.
Research shows that eating too much sugar can lead to depression. When it’s consumed, sugar elevates the insulin levels in our body; high insulin levels lead to a state in which we can’t burn fat, we’re tired, hungry and often irritable. None of these feelings will help beat the winter blues!
5. Get to bed!
Sleep regulates our hormones to keep us feeling good and energized all day long. Without it, studies have shown that our performance, judgment, and attention spans our impaired. Especially during these cold, winter months, we need 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night so we can function properly both mentally and physically.
In conclusion, keep the winter blues away with indoor fitness, continuing to stay active with loved ones, eat right and get 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night. Just think guys, spring is only a couple of months away now!