Winter Wellness Blueprint: Practical Tips for a Healthier Season
The New Year is traditionally a time of ambitious goals that can feel counterintuitive to the long winter months. Increasing your steps, exercise intensity, the number of raw veggies on your plate, and even the amount of time you’re awake can quickly start to feel as if you’re working against the shorter daylight hours and cold, inclement weather.
Could slowing down and honoring winter’s attributes be key to optimal health and attaining your goals in the long run? Some Scandinavian countries seem to think so.
Embracing Winter Via Hygge
Following a practice called hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”), Danish and Norwegian cultures embrace the winter months by opting for rest, gentle movement, and connection over early-morning gym sessions.
The idea is to work with winter, rather than against it. For Danes and Norwegians, the season marks a time for curling up, eating warm, nourishing foods, spending quality time with loved ones, and practicing gratitude.
“Reduced daylight impacts certain hormones (melatonin, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin) that lead to lower energy and extra sleepiness," says Clinical Nurse Practitioner Lois Neering, of Munson Sleep Disorders Center. “Living in tandem with the darker days and colder temperatures can be more beneficial for our minds and bodies than not.”
If revving up in the New Year tends to feel draining, and you’re ready to try something different this winter season, try these Hygge-inspired tips instead.
Allow More Rest & Sleep
Biologically, winter is a time for increased rest that encourages downtime to repair and restore.
Consistent bedtimes and longer sleeping windows align with what winter is inviting within our bodies naturally, says Neering.
“Adequate sleep in the winter offers significant benefits for both the body and the brain, primarily by strengthening the immune system, regulating mood, enhancing cognitive function, and supporting metabolism,” Neering shares. “The naturally cooler, darker environment in winter can facilitate deeper, more restorative sleep if managed properly.”
To maximize winter sleep benefits, Neering says, focus on a good sleep hygiene schedule that helps regulate your body's internal clock by balancing melatonin and serotonin production. This includes:
- Maximizing your natural daylight exposure as much as possible.
- Considering a "happy light" with 10,000 Lumens used for 15 to 20 minutes upon waking (from October until March).
- Keep your bedroom cool (ideally at 60 to 67 degrees) to facilitate falling asleep faster and reaching deeper sleep stages.
- Avoid computer screens and heavy meals before bedtime, opting instead for relaxing activities like reading or meditation.
“If winter low mood or sleep issues become severe, reach out to your primary care provider who can help you connect you to treatments like light therapy or medication,” Neering emphasizes.
Balancing Exercise with the Season
Our bodies need movement—but forcing new or more ambitious fitness regimens may not fit the bill biologically speaking. Here’s what consider instead:
- Yoga, Pilates, or stretching
- Strength training at home with body weight (like pushups), resistance bands, and hand-held weights
- Lighter cardio, such as indoor walking, bouncing gently on a rebounder, or dancing
- Snow-based activities like snowshoeing or cross-county skiing
- Indoor swimming, water aerobics, or walking in the pool
Katie Larsen, a physical therapist with Mary Free Bed at Munson Healthcare—Elk Rapids, one of several outpatient physical therapy locations throughout the region, suggests finding community-based exercise programs, which can also be found at local churches and senior centers.
“YouTube offers a wide variety of free exercise programs as well, which allow you to stay cozy and warm inside your home while staying active. Or invest in some exercise equipment like a stationary bike, bike peddler, or treadmill,” she adds.
Larsen encourages everyone, whether beginning or seasoned, to beware of limitations and not try to push too hard initially, which could set you back if you injure yourself. The majority of winter visits to the ER include slips and falls as well as cardiac events, so being gentler on yourself can also significantly reduce your risk of needing emergency or critical care.
“Start small and slow. ‘Easy’ exercise is better than doing nothing,” Larsen explains. “You will progress quicker if you don’t injure yourself along the way. Even seasoned athletes looking to challenge themselves should be realistic about the demands they place on their body. ‘No pain, no gain’ does not apply to every body.”
Eat with the Season
Strict calorie-counting and focusing on foods that aren’t in season—like melons, berries, asparagus, and large raw salads filled with produce that ripens with the spring, summer, and fall months—might feel unsatisfying for a reason.
If you’re craving warm comfort foods like soups and stews, casseroles, and roasts with root vegetables, these cravings aren’t empty. They’re your body communicating.
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Tweak your meal-planning by focusing on in-season foods, including:
Protein. Turkey, lamb, salmon, venison, leaner beef, legumes, tofu, and tempeh are all good sources. Focus on what your taste buds crave and build each meal centered around your protein source.
Root Vegetables. Sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and beets.
Fruit. Winter squashes, oranges, winter apple (Fuji, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp), and pear (like Anjou) varieties.
Vegetables. Cruciferous veggies (think broccoli, cabbage), leafy greens like arugula, onions, garlic, and leeks. Consider cooking (and especially within soups, stews, and one-pot meals) over raw.
Healthy Fats. Nuts and seeds, misting olive oil on your veggies, dark chocolate, and grass-fed butter. Think of these healthy fats, which contain Omega-3s and fat-soluble vitamins, as more of a flavor enhancer than a side dish when portioning.
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Boosting Your Winter Mindset
Lowered serotonin from reduced daylight can also contribute to feelings of sadness or angst. While seeking the help of a mental health professional is important if you suspect you may have a mental health condition, it’s useful to know that the winter blues and angst can also be symptoms of the season.
Thankfully, there are ways to soothe them that don’t involve excess alcohol, caffeine, snacking, screentime, or impulse spending. Dr. Michael Lucido, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital and Boyne Area Health Center, shares some healthy alternatives.
Focus on Togetherness. Connection with family and friends is a significant part of the hygge tradition. Think of these opportunities as warm, fuzzy mittens for the mind and soul. This can mean anything from enjoying a hearty meal or board game to having meaningful conversations about life or even enjoying a movie night. Don't forget the soft lighting and hot chocolate —two hygge staples.
Don’t Discount Personal Time. Even the most extraverted of extraverts can benefit from intentional time alone. Give yourself permission to focus on you through journaling, reading, embracing a home-based hobby such as cooking, or listening to a positive podcast, including mindfulness practice in your free time.
Assess Your Physical Health: Preventive Care, Specialist Visits & Screenings
While you’re practicing rest and restoration this winter, the slowdown can also be a perfect time to assess what preventive care, screenings, and other medical-related appointments you need.
Consider any health challenges you may be facing, like ongoing pain, numbness or tingling, bladder control, menopause symptoms, menstrual-related pain, depression, anxiety, or anything that doesn’t feel right. Note your symptoms and schedule any specialist visits you need. If a referral is needed, your primary care provider can help.
Winter Health Checklist
- Annual wellness check-up with blood panel
- Cancer screenings, such as mammography and colonoscopy)
- Skin, bone density, and other screenings
- Chronic condition checks (especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a condition such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, heart disease, etc.)
Remember: winter is for thriving, not surviving! Embrace the positive aspects of this slower season and use them to give your body and mind a steady dose of nourishment.