As winter descends on the northern hemisphere and the temperature drops and daytime shorten, many individuals will want to spend more time indoors. And those of us under lockdown for the second time may feel even less inclined to get outside and exercise. But staying indoors could have unintended health consequences, as a consequence of each a scarcity of physical activity and exposure to sunlight.
Being physically lively all 12 months long has many advantages to each physical and mental health. Exercise may even counter a few of the negative effects winter weather can have on our energy levels and mood.
Research shows people exercise for a mean of eight minutes less in the course of the cooler months. People also drop other activities they do during warmer months, equivalent to lively travelling. Light intensity activity (equivalent to slow walking and house responsibilities) is shown to diminish in the course of the winter, while time spent sitting and sleeping increased.
But, despite decreases in light intensity activity and sleeping more, researchers didn’t find any differences by way of sleep quality, nor did it discover a drop in moderate and vigorous activities – equivalent to planned exercise classes or walking the dog – which individuals still did, despite the weather. A pre-print (not yet peer-reviewed) study also suggests that activity levels were lower in the course of the first spring lockdown. This could mean people could also be even less lively this winter.
There are many reasons we may lose our motivation to exercise in the course of the winter months. In the winter, low levels of ambient light coupled with shorter days reduces exposure to vitamin D. This causes us to feel drained or fatigued. People often experience disrupted sleep during winter months as well, further contributing to low energy levels.
Seasonal mood disturbances may make it difficult to search out the motivation to rise up and move. Many people (particularly women) experience low mood because the weather gets colder. Some even develop mental health disorders equivalent to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), during which an individual experiences symptoms of depression during the winter months.
The the reason why we exercise may affect our motivation levels. For example, motivation is shown to waver if the first focus of our exercise is on improving health and body image, fairly than exercising for enjoyment and accomplishment. Research also shows that folks who exercise outdoors all 12 months round are higher at finding the time to stick with their routine, and are more motivated by their enjoyment, or the challenge of their exercise compared too those that are only lively during warmer months. So it’s easy to see how an individual’s mood can result in a more sedentary lifestyle.
Exercise advantages
The advantages of engaging in regular physical activity are widely reported for physical health – including reductions in weight, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes and certain forms of cancer. It’s also related to greater immune function.
Physical activity can be essential for wellbeing. It’s been shown to reduce fatigue and enhance job satisfaction), optimism, self-esteem and higher stress management. Exercise will also be used effectively to treat mental health conditions equivalent to depression and anxiety SADand promotes positive mood.
Though winter weather won’t at all times allow it, exercising outdoors can be great at reducing mental fatigue and stressimproving wellbeing, life satisfaction and happiness. Adolescents particularly profit mentally from being in natural spaces. Blue spaces – equivalent to coastal regions and inland waterways – even have similar restorative advantages for mental health.
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Outdoor exercise also provides more opportunities for social interactionwhich, if allowed, is vital for our health and wellbeing during this winter lockdown. Exercising outdoors in natural light can be linked to improvements in sleep quality, physical health and wellbeing.
To achieve these mental and physical advantages, it’s essential to ensure you’re getting enough exercise. The UK’s NHS recommends a weekly health goal of 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity), which may easily be broken down into smaller chunks of ten minutes throughout the week. Moderate activity is sufficient to raise your heart rate, make you are feeling warmer and breathe faster. An easy option to tell is that you may still talk but find it difficult to sing. Two days of the week also needs to concentrate on strengthening activities.
Though it will probably sometimes be hard to search out the motivation to exercise, carrying an activity monitor (wearable accelerometer) or phone app that records activity (equivalent to step count) can motivate and enable people to set and achieve goals. Committing to activity will also be easier if you might have someone to exercise with. Increasing the challenge – equivalent to the variety of activity sessions, the intensity (equivalent to walking speed or weight lifted) or the time spent in each session – may increase fitness and strength.
Thankfully, there are many ways to be lively in the course of the winter. In addition to sport and types of exercise, taking lively transport (walking and cycling to work or school), or doing chores will all contribute. Of most importance is to interrupt up time sitting with movement and activity outside, in daylight, to make sure you take advantage of the extra health advantages.
