How to Stay Active and Healthy in Winter

Anyone looking at the calendar knows that ole man winter is fast approaching and the carefree days of summer weather will be gone for at least 4 months, maybe longer. Winter brings with it cloudy, dreary days that affect our well-being in more ways than one. Besides not being able to get out and play touch football because it is too cold, the lack of sunshine causes us to feel down and sometimes depressed. There are ways to fight these feelings and the fatigue that comes along with it. Following are a few suggestions on how to beat the doldrums of winter without putting yourself to a lot of expensive. Of course, there is always the gym but if you are like me, there is little extra money to pay expensive membership fees, there are always too many people to comfortably work out without feeling embarrassed or judged in some way and it takes time to go to the gym that I simply don't have. I have found that just by doing a few simple things different, it can make a big difference in my attitude, my physical well-being and my dealings with others.

1. Turn on the lights. Make sure to use energy efficient lighting, but turn on the lights to help improve your mood. We miss the natural light of summer, which makes us feel down in the dumps so turning on lights will help to give us energy to move around a little.

2. Turn off the TV and turn on the stereo or your favorite radio station. I have found that up-beat music seems to give me more energy and make me want to get up and move around. It is also nice to have music playing while working out or doing chores.

3. Are you bored? My philosophy is 'you are bored because you want to be.' There is plenty to do, even though it may not be exactly what you want to do, to keep you from being bored. Boredom leads to mischief and being a couch potato so if you are bored, do something about it. Get up and move. Clean out the garage, if heated, or the closet or wash the windows or play a game or anything to keep your mind active. This alleviates boredom thus giving us more energy to do the things we actually want to do.

4. Get some exercise. As mentioned above the gym is out but there are plenty of other ways to get exercise. Even in the winter months, we have to go to the store at some point. Yes, I know it is cold, but parking way out in the parking lot makes us walk a little faster to get to the heat inside the store. Even short walks boost our energy levels and help to improve our mental state.

5. If you have access to a mall, stop by before work or after to walk a couple of laps inside the mall. No, we aren't stopping at each store to shop, we are trying to be active and walk for exercise. Malls are heated and in the early morning hours, are also not crowded so walking two or three laps is easy. And it's free.

6. If you have a desk job, you can also get in a few exercises at your desk. Sitting in an upright position with your feet on the floor, raise your knees up and hold this position for a couple of seconds. Repeat this at least 10 times, or more if desired. This can be done several times a day and help to battle belly fat. You can also do stretching exercises at your desk as well as using stress balls to keep your hands, wrists and arms in better shape. Granted, these ideas won't give you a 'six pack' or make your biceps hard as rocks, but any little bit of exercise is better than no exercise, especially in today's hectic atmosphere. I have even considered taking a couple of small weights to work with me so I can do a few curls while I'm working. No, I am not suggesting turning your work station into a gym, but doing a few exercises at your desk while brainstorming or taking a break never hurt anyone.

7. If your local high school has an inside track or gym, see if you can get or need permission to use the area before or after regular school hours. Some schools allow the public to use their facilities. After all, we paid for it.

8. Find a friend. Friends help to keep us active in many ways. They are also someone to share our thoughts, ideas, passions, hurts and desires. It is hard to keep a friend when you're on the couch all the time.

9. Take a time out. When stress begins to get you down because the holidays bring so much turmoil into our lives, it is just as important to take a breather. It only takes about 5 minutes to help to improve our mood and get us ready for the next bout. Stop, find a nice calm place, rest (whether standing or sitting or laying down) and take a deep breath. Breath in deeply through your nose, hold for a count of 5 and then breath our slowly through your mouth. Do this at least 5 times and you can't imagine how refreshed you feel.

10. Get plenty of rest. This is probably the hardest part for me. I don't get enough rest and that makes me feel tired all the time. I sleep late on the weekend, which makes me feel even worse and also makes it harder for me to get into the swing of things during the work week. I know I would feel so much better if I could stay on a fairly strict schedule.

11. Eat right. Get off the junk. We all know junk food is not good for us and is very hard to resist sometimes but eating healthy gives us more energy which makes us more active.

12. Check with your doctor if feelings of tiredness persist. You could have a medical problem if your energy level declines and continues to decline, no matter how well you try to take care of yourself.

Most of the above mentioned items I'm sure we have all heard before, but I am sharing my experience. I have found all of the above mentioned ideas to be true. I hope my thoughts and ideas help you to be more active and feel better about yourself. Notice I didn't mention anything about weight loss, as this in not an article about weight loss, it is an article about being active during the winter. Weight management may be a fringe benefit of doing the things mentioned above.