As we head into the cold winter months, we may find ourselves less motivated to exercise than during warmer, sunnier days. Temperatures, shorter days and lack of vitamin D can all be culprits to our hibernation. Let’s take a look at what happens to our bodies during the winter months and discuss how we can keep moving to avoid the winter blah’s. Here are 3 changes your body may go through in the winter, 3 actions you can take to stay active in the winter and 3 tips for exercising in the cold!
Three Changes Your Body Goes Through in the Winter
Physiologically, we can potentially gain more body fat in winter. Tracing back to ancient times, the winter months were associated with famine. One theory is that we’re genetically programmed to increase fat stores in autumn to help us survive winters with fewer available food sources. The problem is that we no longer need to store fat because we have an abundance of food available all year round. The famine never comes, so our extra stores stay stored. (1)
Melatonin, the hormone triggered by darkness that makes us feel sleepy, increases in the winter so it can be harder to find our get-up-and-go during the winter. It takes a lot more energy and willpower to do the things we might find easier to do in the summertime. In addition, a drop in serotonin levels (a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood) can play a role in our feelings. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression. (2)
Psychologically, the cold and the dark can affect our moods. Known better as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the depression we feel corresponds to the beginning and end of the season. Specific to winter onset SAD, feelings of irritability, low energy, weight gain and sleeping longer can all be common.
Three Ways to Stay Active in the Winter
So, how do we continue to stay active through the winter when all we may want to do is curl up on the couch all day?
- Set a schedule. If you don’t have your workouts scheduled, it can be easy to decide to stay warm and cozy on the couch because you think you have nothing planned. If you put your workouts on the calendar in advance, you are more likely to stick to your schedule and need less willpower to “choose” what to do.
- Set a goal. Use the weeks of winter to make a goal for yourself. Start at the beginning of winter and end right at the beginning of spring. You will have something to work towards to keep you motivated and better yet, when you know your challenge is ending, the winter is ending too!
- Consume more Vitamin D in your diet. Choose fatty fish, nuts and other foods high in vitamin D and/or supplement with vitamin D. Your body needs sunlight to synthesize vitamin D, but in winter there are fewer daylight hours. Plus, the daylight is less strong because the sun doesn’t rise as high in the sky. Preliminary studies suggest that people with low levels of vitamin D store more fat, though the precise mechanism has yet to be identified. It appears that lack of vitamin D reduces fat breakdown and triggers fat storage, so the calories you consume are stored in fat cells rather than used for energy. (1)
If you tend to exercise outdoors, here are a few things to consider:
- Dress properly. Wear layers so that you can shed a layer if you need instead of thinking it’s too cold and not finishing your workout.
- Shorten your workouts. Opt for shorter workouts at a higher intensity to limit your time outside.
- Warm up inside. Before getting all dressed in your layers, warm up to get the blood flowing and the muscles loose before heading out.
Hopefully these tips can help break the winter blues for you. If you need some help getting motivated, contact us. We are here to help!
References:
- “Winter Weight Gain: Why It Happens and How to Prevent It”. Accessed 7, December 2015. The American Council on Exercise. https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5222/winter-weight-gain-why-it-happens-and-how-to/?authorScope=4
- “Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)”. Accessed 7, December 2015. WebMD. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/causes/con-20021047
- Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
