Winter in the Midwest – ice cold this year, but we don’t have the 7+ feet of snow as in Boston. The cold and darkness of winter are often used as excuses as to why someone is not exercising or eating as healthy. It’s used to explain “loss of motivation” to continue to make healthy choices. This “motivation” and “effort” may resume for a short time after the NEW year, but often dwindles away again until the days get much longer and warmer.
Here’s another option. Have “seasonal” wellness plans! Figure out what you need to include to maintain a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, physical activity and relaxation & sleep. There are many ways to incorporate those into each season. They don’t all have to be the same. In fact, the body will be optimized if you change it up periodically, so why not with the seasons? So change up your healthy lifestyle routines for the different seasons.
Here are some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing…Find what works for you.
If you workout in the mornings in the spring and summer, maybe in the winters, you meditate in the morning for a shorter duration than what your workout would have been? Maybe your workout is on the drive home from work or school or running errands- when you already are out of the house. Just DON’T go home first without the workout (as it can be hard to motivate to go out into the cold). Or maybe your workout is at home instead of at the gym. Maybe you use home workout DVD’s or smartphone exercise apps? The workout routine might be different – you may work more on strength or core training or take a different exercise class this season. If you have snow, you may choose to incorporate winter sports into you life – ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, etc. A good friend introduced me to snow shoe-ing last year, and it’s wonderful! What a treat to be out in nature and having the brightness of the snow recharge me!
You may choose to rely on the crockpot more (especially if you are going to be working out after work and have less time to cook in the evening). You may get more of your veggies in a soup or stew. These also make great lunches the next day! You may cook more winter root vegetables- they last longer after purchase (less frequent grocery shopping trips).
The winter seems to have more quiet times of the day when it might be easy to stop and meditate, even if only for a brief time. There are many smartphone apps that help facilitate and time meditation sessions. You may even find incorporating meditative activities with physical activity is the answer for winter – Tai Chi and Yoga are popular ways to get both the relaxation and physical activity in one.
Sleep changes with the seasons and with stressors. Allow yourself to have a day once a week, when you can sleep in as much as you need. It will help you bring it all together and help keep your mind young and keep you upbeat throughout winter.
Please share what works for you!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
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