How to Stay Active this Winter
Winter is here! For some, this brings smiles and joy; for others, winter begins the countdown until summer. Whoever you are, keeping your body healthy throughout the beautiful winter season is an important part of making it through the next few months. Our blog this month provides tips for moving your body in winter.
Remember to stay active!
With the cold weather invading our valley, it is common to want to spend more time indoors, staying warm and cozy. However, staying indoors tends to lead to more inactivity and stiffening of your muscles and joints, which may appear as an increase in pain or discomfort. On the other hand, movement is medicine, so staying active during the cold months is essential!
Here are some tips to keep moving during the winter
Move throughout your workday! Make it a routine to have a movement break for five to ten minutes every 60-90 minutes. Movement can be jumping jacks, stretching, or a quick walk around your office. Movement gives us healthy joints, strong bones, and blood and oxygen circulation.
Get outside, but make sure you bundle up—nothing re-energizes you like crisp cool winter air. Also, being outside can help relieve the stress hormones, which typically come with the early darkness and the holiday season.
Shovel snow! If it is safe for you to do so, use your exercise time to clear that driveway! Shovelling is a great way to get outside, have a clear driveway, and get your heart rate up!
Strap on those skis or snowboard! Skiing or snowboarding is a great weekend escape and an excellent way to get above the clouds. If you do not know how to ski or snowboard, it is never too late to try something new!
Cross-country skiing. A little less of an adrenal rush, but a bigger heart pump! Cross-country skiing is a great cardio activity to do while enjoying the beautiful scenery that comes with winter.
Snowshoeing! Try snowshoeing if you enjoy hiking but struggle to keep it up in the winter!
Benefits of staying active in the winter
Being active improves mental health, decreases stress, and can help manage anxiety. In addition, physical activity has the benefit of fighting depression, stabilizing moods, and can increase the production of endorphins (the body’s feel-good hormone).
Being active increases your blood flow and can keep you warm on those cooler days.
Physical activity can also help to strengthen the immune system, making it easier to fight off any colds you may get during the winter season.
What can you do if you find your body hurting during the winter?
Every injury or soreness is a little different, but we can do a few common things to treat soreness.
Stretch – Stretching allows the body to open up more muscle fibres, allowing more blood and oxygen flow. Extra blood helps remove lactic acid from the muscles and accelerates recovery.
Movement – We already mentioned movement in this blog, but the fact that we are repeating it shows how important it is. Movement helps to keep your body strong and healthy.
Rest – One of the best parts of the holidays is that life slows down for a short time. Allow your body the chance to rest and recover so that it can feel good for the new year.
Massages – A great way to relieve stress or discomfort is to get a massage. Please see our other article here if you want to read more about the benefits of massage therapy. If you want to book a massage session for yourself or a loved one, click the button below.
Chiropractic adjustments – like massages, a chiropractic adjustment is a way to help restore the range of motion in your body. Are you looking for more information about our chiropractors and their services? View our Chiropractic page here – we help the citizens of Kelowna move freely and comfortably.
Are you looking for activities on what you can do in the Okanagan this winter – see our blog, which recommends our team's favourite activities.
From everyone at Move RX, we wish you a happy holidays and thank you for reading our articles and supporting local.