As winter sets in, it seems illness and body aches and pain come along for the ride. We instinctively want to curl up into a ball and slide into hibernation.
The simple act of getting out of bed in the morning feels like a chore. I know I’m guilty of retreating back under the doona when met with the cold chill.
It seems like common sense to hide from winter’s chill. Doesn’t it?
Heating gets crancked up and the couch and Netflix beakon. along with this, cravings set in, and we long for salty carbs or suger. Comfort foods, good old bag of chippy’s or chocy.
As tempting as it all is, we really need to find ways to balance it. We need to find ways to include more activity into our day.
So, what do we do to avoid illness and body aches and pain?
Nutrition
- Water: Drink water! Seems like a no-brainer! But in winter we just don’t feel thirst as much.This results in not gettin our reccommended amount. Thirst signal’s us to drink , however your body actually needs water long before you feel thirsty.
Water is essential for every function in our body, for every organ and cell. It makes up about 60% of our body mass and about 80% of our blood. So when water is low in our body and blood, it starts to deprive it from our muscles.
This conservation leads to sore, tight muscles. These tight muscles constrict and reduce blood flow. Leading to dehydrated, unhealthy muscles that become susceptible to injury.
Blood transports fresh oxygen and nutrients to every organ and muscle. Blood also transports metabolic waste away and helps the liver and kidneys flush out these by-products from our body. Water enables our blood to pump through our system with ease.
Water also increases the fluid between our joints (synovial fluid). Synovial fluid is the lubricant of our joints. It allows our knees, shoulders, hips etc to move with ease. Smooth movement with miniamal friction reduces aches and pain as well as wearing of that joint.
It’s also critical for sufficient brain function. For concentration and to avoid tiredness and headaches. We are prone to headaches when dehydrated.
On average 8 glasses or 2 litres per day is what we should be aiming for. This amount varies depending on how much activity we do, or how much is lost in persperation.
The best indicator however is the colour of your urine. A pale straw-clear colour is a sign you are adequately hydrated. Whereas darker yellow and stronger smelling indicatesa degree of dehydration.
carry a water bottle with you.
sip away throughout the day.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D is produced in our body from exposure to sunlight. It’s also available in some foods and of course supplements.
During winter alot of people become vitamin D deficient. Generally because the days are shorter, and we tend not to be outdoors enough to absorb adequate amounts from the sun.
According to the cancer council, the UV index level is below 3 in winter and autumn in southern parts of Australia. Meaning it is quite safe to spend some time outdoors during these months without sun protection. Especially to promote vitamin D production.
Vitamin D is needed for muscle and bone health. It supports the immune system, brain, and nervous system. Aswell as being required by the body to help absorb calcium.
The US Institute of Medicine recommends adults have around 400-800IU daily.
Some of the best food sources that naturally contain Vitamin D are fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. Cod liver oil is another great source and small amounts are found in beef liver, cheese, egg yolks and some mushrooms.
Keep in mind that its difficult to get your daily recommended intake from these alone.
are concerned about your Vitamin D intake?
Make an appointment with your GP, they can test your levels and discuss options.
How much Vitamin D should you take for optimal health
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-vitamin-d-to-take
Vitamin D
https://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/sun-protection/vitamin-d/
Top Vitamin D foods + their 5 major benefits
https://draxe.com/top-10-vitamin-d-rich-foods/
Body health
- Exercise: Don’t be tempted to cease exercising when the cold hits. Arthritis, sciatica, lower back pain, restless leg and calf cramping are among a few conditions that seem to feel worse in winter. Winter increases all aches and pain.
When temperatures drop, our bodies knowingly kick into survival mode. Regulating our core temperature to protect our vital organs. It does this by increasing blood flow to our organs and reducing it to limbs.
This explains why our fingers and toes get so cold.
The blood is also reduced to our skin and muscles. When our muscles cool, they constrict, they shrink. Leading to them feeling tight and having less flexiability.
Consequensly, tight muscles pull at the jointand reduce the (intra-articular space) space inside the joint. The reduction in space causes restriction in movement. It also can cause friction, leading to painful joints that are injury prone.
Warming up and exercising increases blood circulation. The contracting muscles assist the heart with pumping your blood back to your heart and lungs. And the warmth does the opposite of cold, it opens and dialates rather then constricting. This warmth and aided circulation means blood flow gets distributed evenly through your entire body.
Just 20 minutes of moderate exercise per day is great for the health of your body and mind.
- Massage: Get regular massages! If you find your hands and feet are often cold massage helps improve circulation similar to exercise. It encouragies blood to flow to your extremities and brings with it fresh oxygen and nutrients.
Massage also influences immunity. Firstly by increasing lymph flow, which helps fight off infection. And secondly it lowers the stress hormone cortisol. Which in high levels is counteractive, as it suppress the effectiveness of the immune system.
While lowering the stress hormone it also increases the feel good hormones(serotonin and dopamine). One study showed that massage increased these good hormone levels by about 30%.
The key to optimal body function is warmth, movement, and adequate blood flow. Exercise and massage are great ways to combat this issue. So, rug up, get moving and get massaged
Cortisol decreases, and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16162447
Environmental health
- Fresh Air: One major factor of illness in winter is poor air quality. Attempting to steer clear of the cold, we frequently stay indoors and crank the heating.
When too little outside air circulates, indoor pollutants build up, having an ill effect on our health. It increases allergy issues, flares up asthma as well as creating an environment where cold and flu germs multiply.
Opening doors and letting cold air in seems counter-intuitive to staying warm but it is vital that the home and office are aired. Just opening a few windows in the warmer part of the day will allow fresh air to circulate and the nasty germs to escape.
- Mold: Condensation is big problem in winter, as it is warmer inside and cooler out you will notice condensation, especially on windows. Mold easily builds up on the sil and causes havoc on our health. Airing the home helps evaporate the excess moisture.
White distilled vinegar is great for cleaning. use it in a spray bottle or straight on a cloth to wipe excess moisture away, it’s natural, cheap and is said to kill up to 82% of mold species.
Mental health
So now we have our body and environment working for us avoiding illness, aches and pain. It’s equally important if not more to consider our mind.
SAD (seasonal affective disorder) otherwise know as winter blues, is a condition that affects many of us through winter in varying degrees.
We all know if our head isn’t in the game, all the above seems so much harder to implement. Creating a vicious cycle of ill health and bad moods.
SAD is a type of blues that saps our energy and leaves us feeling moody, unmotivated and sometimes depressed.
It is thought that the reduced sunlight hours effect our biological clock (circadian rhythm), and levels of serotonin and melatonin. This disruption is what effects our moods and sleep patterns.
We all have days where we are feeling a little off, being aware of why you may feel the effects of SAD/winter blues means you are able to implement steps to help ward it off.
It’s always important to look after ourselves and especially through the winter. Keeping warm, hydrated, having a healthy dose of sunlight and fresh air. Adequate exercise, massage and a clean environment will help you get through the chill if winter. And you will have more bounce in your step and avoid unnecessary illness, aches and pain.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have found this article to be useful.
If you have any questions or would like to book in a Myotherapy or massage session you can contact me via the below information.