The Best Winter Activities

I just returned from Orlando Florida after finishing the Walt Disney World Marathon, and I have some real good advice on cold weather activities, also known as "exercise".  We’ve talked about nutrition and simple over the counter remedies for winter health, and now we can discuss exercise. 

Simple 30 minute activity exercises daily can help boost your immune system by opening your airways, your sinuses, and “pasteurizing” your blood.  You don’t have to sweat, in fact, in cold weather, you don’t sweat as much, and you lose more calories. 

Proper warm up is essential and can include as much as 3-5 minutes of stretching to as little as 10 to 20 seconds of jumping jacks.  Don’t shock your body by getting out in to the cold weather and start running.  Even jumping up and down 10 times is a good enough warm-up.

Insulating your body with some moisture wicking material is crucial, so that your body’s natural cooling system doesn’t make you shiver.  Winter running gear has a wide selection on undergarments to wear.  Be sure that the outer garment is wind and water resistant.  This makes for a very comfortable activity outside in the cold weather.

When you have completed your activity, be it washing your car, going for a walk, run, bike, or most outdoors activities, then you would help your body best by maintaining the elevated temperature in your body for 5-10 minutes when you come inside. 

This means no stripping down and jumping in the shower, but rather just letting your body’s natural thermo regulators do their job.

For most during the holidays, exercise is taboo, and the “Holiday 10 or 15” pounds that are gained will hopefully be taken care of with their New Year’s resolution.  However, if you can try to treat your body well you won’t have to worry about that.

Got the Winter Blues?

Seasonal Affective Disorder making people SAD.

SAD is an acronym short for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

It is a form of depression that occurs during the cold winter months starting in December.  The days get shorter and colder, and some people call it the “winter blues, or winter depression.”

The symptoms can include fatigue, sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, weight gain, poor sleep, poor sex drive, irritability, poor concentration, no energy, thoughts of suicide, and crying spells.

The treatment for SAD is light therapy, and includes not only sunshine light, but also fluorescent light daily in morning and night.  30 minutes a day is appropriate light exposure.

While most anti depressant medications help with SAD, there are some other home remedies to try. 

In the morning when you awake, eating a nutritious breakfast with complex carbs and proteins, with cinnamon and black tea. 

If you can open your mind and focus on good things in your life, be active with things you like to do, and smile, all of these increase natural endorphins in your body to make you feel good. 

Carrying around a bag of peppermint leaves and smelling them increases your mood.  If all else fails, pull up a PHQ 9 questionnaire from online.  Fill it out and bring it to your doctor. 

The score is a good objective number to have to determine if you have mild to moderate to severe depression.  I like to check these scores every month while patients are being treated for first 3-6 months.