While the days begin to grow longer, let’s take a look at some proactive strategies to safeguard and support your fitness and mental health.
Maybe you’re perfectly content swaddled in blankets and jumpers. Perhaps you are anxiously searching for winter sun next to a light-therapy lamp. However, one thing we can all agree on during the colder months is that it’s far easier to let our physical and mental health lapse. Learning to support your fitness and mental health is a challenge.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a serious problem for many people. However, many of us give in to the winter blahs at some point. It may be overeating, suffering the worst cold ever, binge drinking, or skipping exercises due to the cold. Nevertheless, integrating your body and mind during this time can be a powerful force.
1. Supplement with Vitamin D to support your fitness.
Working out in the winter is more difficult than working out at any other time of year, according to scientists.
A recent survey discovered that those with greater levels of vitamin D had a higher degree of fitness than those with lower levels of vitamin D.
Given that sunlight is one of the best sources of vitamin D, it’s no surprise that we’d prefer to sleep in rather than run our morning 5k in the dark.
Furthermore, oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, as well as eggs and cheese, are excellent sources of vitamin D at this time of year. However, sometimes we all need to find other ways to support our fitness and stay in a healthy routine.
2. Delegate the record-keeping to smart technology.
Garmin’s Venu 2 series GPS smartwatches come to the rescue. Before you start sweating, check out this technology.
Nerd out with advanced health monitoring. It analyzes everything from sleep and hydration levels to stress and heart rate. In addition, it improves your fitness and wellbeing. It does this by tapping into on-screen exercises and coaching.
Furthermore, the 21-day battery life means you’ll spend less time looking for a charger.
3. Support your fitness by taking it outdoors.
It can be a challenge to push yourself to get up and go out outside when it’s dark.
When it’s also dark when you get home from work, it can seem even more difficult. However, the rewards are pretty great and may actually persuade you to do just that.
Cold-weather training has been shown to increase fat-burning metabolism. It does so by converting white blood cells to calorie-burning beige cells.
This reduces your risk of becoming sick by 20% to 30% by making your immune system work harder. In addition, it revitalizes your mind.
4. Take it to the gym.
Still looking for a new project to focus on to keep yourself motivated? After all, variety is the spice of life; we can’t survive just on burpees.
A smartwatch can track more than 25 indoor and outdoor sports. These include cycling, swimming, walking, running, or golf. This makes it the ideal productivity accessory.
In addition, you can try pre-loaded animated cardio, yoga, strength, HIIT routines, or Pilates. Furthermore, you can create your own workout with the Garmin Connect app. Additionally, you can download it directly to your watch.
There’s a full strength training profile if you want to know which muscles you worked. In addition, for runners, there’s a free-running coach who can help you shatter your 5k, 10k, or half marathon personal best, all from your wrist.
5. Goals break down. Pursue better mental fitness.
Change up your weighty, bucket list-style goals. Learn to focus on short-term to-dos.
This can be just as important as variety. Break down each of your goals into smaller action steps. This can make them feel more achievable right away.
Want to become more mindful? Instead of jumping into a 30-day challenge, start with 15 minutes of yoga each morning. Garmin’s Yoga 101 Beginner session is a fantastic place to start.
Alternatively, instead of aiming for a larger, more scary objective, break down your next run target into segments.
After all, studies show that running just 5 to 10 minutes per day at a moderate pace is highly beneficial. In addition, it may help reduce your risk of early death from strokes, heart attacks, and other common diseases.
Whatever your objectives, getting in touch with your body and paying attention to how it feels is critical to your success.
In addition, you can use a Garmin smartwatch to access built-in stress tracking. It also has Body BatteryTM energy monitoring. This watch also calculates your fitness age. Further, it has women’s health tracking.
It’s true that all this may sound futuristic. However, these are all tools that can help you better understand your body. They can help you know when it’s time to ramp it up or schedule a duvet day.
6. Support your fitness by talking to your doctor.
SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is slang that gets thrown around throughout the winter months.
However, do you know how it affects your body and mind? Additionally, do you know how you may receive therapy for it?
SAD is a type of depression that affects up to three out of every 100 persons. Persistent low mood, feelings of despair, a loss of pleasure in everyday life, worthlessness, remorse, and lethargy are all possible symptoms.
If you suspect you have SAD, see your doctor for a check-up. Your doctor can give you advice on how to deal with your symptoms.
With proper symptom treatment, you may be able to boost your energy levels and mood during winter. This can help you to feel more like yourself.
Garmin’s Venu 2 smartwatches will help you stay in touch with both your body and mind this winter.
