Dr. Sara and I are in the throws of winter in Michigan! If you are from the mitten state you know what that means, gray cloudy skies, cold, extra-crisp air, and very little sunshine. It is easy to see how you could be swayed to not get outside. I urge you to reconsider!
Yesterday, I was sent a link called 1000 hours outside. 1000 hours outside has a powerful purpose and that is that you are to attempt to match your screen time with your nature time. On average children spend 1200 hours a year consuming media through screens. This idea is asking you to shift your time back to nature, get outside! Did you know that our children, your children and mine are consuming that much screen time in one year? I am blessed that my children love to be outside, in any weather, partly because of their age and partly because we don’t encourage screen time. As a family, we love getting out to explore our neighborhood or our local trails to find animal tracks, frozen ponds or to just experience the quietness of nature in the winter.
If Michiganders are going to attempt this, we need to be getting out all year long!
As you all know I enjoy running as my primary form of exercise, I do not own a treadmill so that means I need to get outside to run! I find that I might not run as far in the winter as I do in the summer but overall I seem to run better during the winter months. My breathing is better, my pace is easier and my body seems stronger. With the proper outdoor gear, you too can get out to walk, run, bike, snowshoe, and ski. There are many health benefits to being active in cold weather. Winter doesn’t need to be a burden to your health, it can give you just the boost you need!
Studies show that exercising in cold weather can help you burn off extra calories, this means the same walk you take in the summer will yield you a greater calorie loss if done in the winter! Get outside! Studies also show that when you train your immune system to survive in a colder climate you are actually strengthening your ability to fight off infections! We all are looking for ways to create a stronger and healthier immune system so that we can fight off infections naturally!
Being out during these winter months also helps you to get a better night’s sleep, improves your brain function, and can kickstart your heart. Exercising in colder temperatures allows your heart to work double-time to keep your body warm, working on your heart muscles is a great way to maintain good cardiovascular health! In any situation please be sure to consult your healthcare provider before adding a new workout to your daily routine.
Share with us this month how you got outside. What did you do to stay active? How did it feel? I can guarantee that it felt much better than sitting behind a screen, watching television, or checking your social media account.
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