Some Tips for Fall Wellness
It seems easier to take care of ourselves when the weather is warm, strange as that might seem to say out loud. We’re outside more, we have more energy, and as long as we’re staying hydrated, getting in that minimum amount of exercise every day – even with a walk – is a breeze, as long as it’s nice and warm out. While some of the things we forget in fall weather make perfect sense – eating a little less healthy, staying indoors more – it doesn’t hurt to assess where we are with our wellness goals to continue them through the cold weather. Here are some tips for meeting your wellness goals during the fall.
Let Your Clothes Be Your Armor
It seems self-explanatory, but if it’s cold out, you should be layering and bundling up, but not just because “it feels cold out.” It’s a matter of bodily wellness and what it does to your state of mind. Bundling up (without too much bulk, if you can) is a way of recognizing the fact that you deserve to be warm in the cold, and that you are allowed to enjoy the fresh air. Dressing properly for the winter – not just a quick, temporary set of clothes for a brisk walk to the car – is a way of reminding yourself that you’re worth the time.
Don’t Just Eat Healthy – Eat Well
We are creatures of habit, after all, so it’s forgivable to grab a little holiday candy or other sweet, unhealthy snack at a holiday party. In fact, it’s perfectly forgivable to go overboard, but it’s just not good for us, and our bodies and minds know it. This isn’t a matter of “don’t gain weight,” but a matter of “don’t put your brain through that.” Taste – especially that of comfort food and snacks – really sends us back to another time and can make us dependent on finding that state of mind again when, in fact, it can slow us down and make it difficult to function.
Exercise? Here, We Call it “Doing Chores”
Remember as a kid when you had to rake the leaves or shovel the snow? If you’re able-bodied and that’s still within your range of motion and ability, this is the ideal way to get in the exercise that homebodyness is denying you. Not only can you clear your own lawn and driveway – if you’ve got the energy (and nice neighbors!) why not do them a favor and take care of theirs, too? That dopamine high will come with more and more exercise, and you’ll forget why you were hanging out inside.
Walk and Hike and Walk Some More
Walking is a simple type of exercise that is low impact and relatively easy to keep up, even in the cold months. You’ll warm up quicker than you think, and if you know the end of your walk, you can design it around a reward – maybe you walk to your favorite coffee shop and head back? Whatever keeps you moving.
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