Two things happened this past week that I am unhappy about. One, it snowed for the first time this season. Two, Daylight Savings Time ended and I had to set my clocks back one hour. I have realized that we are in for a long, long winter.
photo by Clark Duffy
Cold days with limited sunshine are a challenge around these parts. It is pitch dark by 5:30 PM come December and my body clock is screaming for me to put on my pajamas and climb into bed or at the very least, curl up on the couch with a blanket, mindlessly watch TV for a couple of hours and then climb into bed. My energy level drops off the face of the planet and my body starts craving little doses of comfort along with my lazy couch time: hot cocoa and popcorn, soda and chips, hot apple cider with a slice (or three) of pumpkin bread… maybe a vat of macaroni and cheese.
Daytime isn’t much better. I’m not wearing shorts and tank tops; no, I’m layered up so much I waddle around looking like the Michelin Man. I can hear that little voice inside my head whining, why do I have to exercise as much now that it’s cold outside? I’ve got months before anyone will notice what’s buried under all these clothes.
My husband and I spent the past few weekends preparing for the cold months ahead. We picked up sticks and raked leaves, took out the window air conditioner units, checked the furnace and cleaned the fireplace. All of these things we do to prepare our homes for winter, but how about preparing our bodies? Even though energy levels may be down in the wintertime, we need to find ways to make winter work for us, not against us. Here’s a few things to keep in mind.
Photo by Marek Kosmal
1. Continue doing things outside: If you liked to hike during the summer months, try hiking those same trails during the winter if it’s safe to do so. With snow on the ground you can acquire a completely different kind of workout (think walking in sand at the beach). Sloshing through snow is tough, even if it’s just a few inches. My winter plan: My husband and I have made a recent commitment to walking our dog at the park as soon as we get home from work while there is still daylight left. We have a no coats off rule in place as well, which translates to: when you come home from work the coat stays on until the dog is walked. This worked really well last year, too.
2. Have a goal: wintertime is a perfect time to train. Commit yourself to working on your tummy or your arms for that bathing suit, vacation or marathon you know is coming up in a few months. Keep a visual reminder of what you’re working towards. My winter plan: We plan on taking a trip next May. We’re not sure where yet but we intend to do some serious hiking and need to be in shape for the trip. I have a couple of destination photos taped up next to my treadmill. Visual reminders are a great way to keep your mind focused.
3. Boost your mood: Less sunshine and/or daylight hours is enough to give us the wintertime blues. We all know that exercising releases endorphins (natural painkillers that promote an increased sense of well-being) but what if you are lacking the energy you need to begin your workout? Have you ever considered light therapy? According to WebMD using light therapy in the wintertime can increase energy, improve our mood and help alleviate SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). There are numerous ways to incorporate light therapy, from using dawn simulators to simply changing your light bulb to a full spectrum bulb, which simulates daylight. My winter plan: my mood along with my husband’s is affected by the length of daylight hours and whether or not it’s sunny outside; therefore, we bought a light simulator last season and will use it during the winter months.
photo by Adam Borkowski
4. Stay motivated: getting up when it’s dark and coming home from work when it’s dark makes it feel like your day is over before it ever began. Make your workouts as easy as possible to do. This may mean keeping your workout gear at the foot of your bed so that you slip on your shoes before your feet ever hit the floor in the morning. And don’t forget to stay hydrated as well. Our bodies are more likely to tell us when it needs water during the summer months because of the heat and humidity. However, during the winter when there is less humidity in the air our skin, noses and throats dry out more quickly. My winter plan: to keep water everywhere in my house; on my nightstand and by my treadmill, especially.
Does anyone else have a hard time staying motivated this time of year? How do you get through the winter months?
very good post
over the years, MANY bloggers have discovered they have the SAD (your #3) thing. I know bloggers who have had the lights installed at work (people with a set desk where they are much/part of the day) and at home. And it makes a really big difference in how they handle not only the winter but the holidays as well.
I love leaving (your #1) coat and getting your park walk in right after work. It made me think of the fact that most maintainers have very good rituals/habits that they follow most every day. And for people, on the outside looking at us, this can appear to be very rigid (or even OCD), and it is NOT. It is us sticking with things that help us and keep us on an even keel.
Thank you, Vickie. I'm glad that you liked it. Sometimes I do feel like I occasionally have OCD! Glad to see I'm not the only one.
I actually find it slightly joyful to work out in the winter. There's a really good feeling that comes when you go to the gym in the dark and emerge into morning snow. The best part is that you're not cold because you've been sweating it out inside.
Aside from that, I really have to focus on staying hydrated in the winter. I keep water on my desk at all times… and refill it every time I make that necessary bathroom trip.
I need your positive attitude, Michele! All very good points.
Increasing your Vitamin D intake helps with SAD too!
You know, I thought I'd read that somewhere but wasn't sure which vitamin it was. Thanks for posting that for me, Jayne.:)
Well it rarely snows in my part of the country, infact I've never really seen proper snow before (a few centimeters at best) so i'm just preparing myself for the dark mornings and the dark evenings. The weather will probably just be mild or rainy which is normal for England! LOL
Thankfully I live pretty close to the gym and it's also on my way home from work so I have no excuse not to go during the winter months.
I'm not sure which would be worse…..all rain or all snow. We get quite a bit of rain during the Spring months and it can be quite nice, but it's the cold, cold wind that ends up making me curse like a sailor!
I need one of those light do-hickeys. Until I go back to work getting enough daylight isn't as much of a problem as it is when I have to work from dawn to dusk. For me that is the worst thing about winter. I don't mind the cold….there's less sweating in the winter.
I have been really bummed this week, Ellen. I have been trying and trying to figure out why. I had a terrific weekend. I have had a good week so far. But emotionally I am just really off track. It is like you have been in my head, rooting around for the cause. It is the time change and the change in weather. It is still sunny, but I know what is coming. I know how horribly depressed I can get. I have my light on my desk (which is visible on clean desk photo). My desk is situated so that I am exposed to whatever sun there is all day long. I am now pretty much in the habit of getting up and taking a shower each morning. I am doing better about eating (though I still have a huge way to go). While I was at my parent's house I found my goal picture. It is a picture that was taken the year hubby and I met. I was at the weight where I felt my best. I loved how I looked, and I would like to get back there. So I am trying to figure out where I need to post it. Hubby and I are trying to figure out how to divide time so that I have the opportunity to work out. We are working on meal plans. I am making all the right changes. But I am still really in the doldrums. I think it is truly fear. Fear of the darkness that I know is coming. Fear of falling into that hole of depression that can suck me down so far. And anger that I have to be on medication for SAD which is one of 2 major roadblocks in adopting one more child from China. That anger is then turned back on myself and I fall deeper into that hole.
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MM, check your email. I've replied to you privately.
When I moved to the Pacific Northwest from Los Angeles, I became quite ill with a vitamin D deficiency. We get more overcast skies than sunshine in Washington. At first I didn't know what was wrong until someone told me what it might be –a vitamin D deficiency. Now I take my vitamin D religiously. It cured me and I haven't had any issues with depression or lack of energy in the fall and winter months. It was like a miracle, I swear! I hiked last spring which here means hiking a lot in the rain and mud. This winter, although it doesn't snow much or often at the elevation I'm at, if it does snow, I'm headed outdoors no matter what. I am one determined little cookie. Great tips, Ellen. Thanks!
Do you know whether or not you have to get tested for Vitamin D deficiency? I've got to do some more reading about this. Jayne Doe made a comment about it, too. Thanks for the info on it, Sasha.
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Is it just me or now that we've lost our weight I'm COLD all the time! I am so not looking forward to winter because of this!
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Dani, I am cold ALL of the time now. In fact, I have a post planned in my head for those of us that are maintaining. It is the one thing that is such a challenge for me. I layer and layer and layer. SO unflattering!! Sometimes I will even put on gloves in the house – crazy.
I HATE the darkness! I don't mind the snow and cold, but I hate feeling like I need to go to bed at 6:00!