With the winter knocking at your doors, it’s time to think about your personal wellness and preparedness to stay healthy during the winter. Although winter is a time when you probably feel like staying in and generally not doing much of anything, here are just a few simple things you would ideally want to indulge in.

Keep yourself hydrated

It’s essential to keep yourself hydrated in the months of summer – you know that. However, what most people don’t know is that it’s equally important to stay hydrated during the cold season as well. Drinking plenty of fluids, especially hot tea, water with lemon, or even apple cider vinegar, will keep your body functioning smoothly and protect your skin from any kind of dryness.

Eat healthy

In the winter, look to increase your regular intake of proteins and nutrients. Include lots of curries, squash, soups, and stews in your diet along with spices like black pepper, cardamom, and cumin, all of which will help keep your immune system strong. Pick up vegetables like turnips, parsnips, or even rutabagas and add them to your dishes for a deliciously healthy and filling meal. Also, make sure you have a sufficient level of vitamin D in your body by adding foods like mushrooms and fortified soy milk to your diet and soak up some sunbeams.

Improve your circulation

The best and easiest way to improve your circulation in the cold season is to take hot showers or a hot bath and then finish up with a short cold shower. A brisk walk or a short run outside will also work. However, instead of all that, you could simply step into a sauna for a more relaxing and soothing experience. 

Get plenty of exercise

It’s natural for you to feel sluggish in the winter; you may not feel like moving around much. However, working out for a little while or going for a run, at any point in the day, will keep you feeling fresh and energized. Practice exercises that won’t easily exhaust you. Try yoga, tai-chi or even dancing and other exercises that will help ground you. Also, winter sports like skiing, snow shoeing, or even ice skating are salient ways to enjoy yourself and get some exercise at the same time.

You can also play basketball. Basketball outdoors could be a little tough depending on where you live but you can play basketball in a gym and work up a terrific sweat. There is nothing more fun and competitive than playing a 3 on 3 basketball game.

Rest, relax, and rejuvenate

In the winter, it’s essential for you to allow yourself some time to rest and just relax; you can start by making sure you get enough sleep. You should get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night; maybe even squeeze in a short and refreshing nap during the day. Plan 30 minutes of “you time” every day and do something you enjoy doing but don’t usually have the time for. Find a new hobby, read an enlightening book, listen to your favorite music or even attain a relaxing massage, do whatever makes you feel good.

Written by Benjamin Roussey for bodono.

Benjamin Roussey is from Sacramento, CA. He has two master’s degrees and served four years in the US Navy. His bachelor’s degree is from CSUS (1999) where he was on a baseball pitching scholarship. He has an MBA in Global Management from the Univ. of Phoenix (2006) where he attributes his writing prowess. He has worked everywhere from small businesses to large corporations, and also for public agencies. He has lived in Korea and Saudi Arabia where he was an ESL instructor. He misses Saudi food and living in Korea. Benjamin has a tremendous work ethic and is quite focused. Now he writes professionally for several clients that covers one sector of our economy to another. Currently he lives in the Phoenix area after living in Cabo San Lucas, MX for 3 years. He enjoys sports, movies, reading, and current events when he is not working online: www.infinista.com.