By admin 
With winter just around the corner, it’s easy to stay busy with holiday planning. But amid all the celebration, make sure you look after your health too.
According to Johns Hopkins MedicineWinter can be a blow to your health. At that time of year you can easily catch colds, flu, pneumonia and much more.
Additionally, the cold weather and dark hours can have a negative impact on your mental health.
If you want to stay healthy this winter, both mentally and physically, try these tips.
How can I improve my health in winter? Try these 6 healthy habits
1. Boost your immunity in winter
There’s a reason we get sick in the winter: it’s sprouting season. Fortunately, there are steps you can take now to ensure you stay healthy.
According to Harvard Health“Your first line of defense is choosing a healthy lifestyle.” You can strengthen your immune system by:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Getting enough sleep.
- Keep your stress levels low.
- Stay up to date on your vaccinations.
- Exercise at least three times a week.
- Wash your hands regularly.
Moreover, experts from Bastyr University recommend increasing your vitamin intake. They recommend including vitamins A, C, D and zinc in your diet.
2. Stay active in cold weather
When it’s dark and cold outside, the last thing you want to do is leave your house to go for a run or to the gym.
But exercise is good for your mental health, which is often affected by seasonal affective disorders in winter.
According to the Mental Health FoundationExercise helps the body regulate stress levels, mood and self-esteem, and can also help with depression, anxiety, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly.
So how can you exercise in winter? Here are some tips:
- Start small: It can be hard to be motivated to exercise when it’s so cold and dark outside. Start by setting small, realistic goals, such as exercising 10 minutes a day or taking 1,000 extra steps. Keep building from there and by January you might have a solid, consistent workout routine.
- Training at home: There are plenty of YouTube videos, apps, subscription services and more that offer a variety of workouts you can do at home. Make sure you have the equipment you need, such as a yoga mat, resistance bands, dumbbells and more.
- Take a walk – indoors: If you are an avid hiker, you know how difficult hiking in winter can be. On days when it is particularly snowy, you can take a walk inside. You can go to your local mall to get your steps in, walk around the gym or buy an elliptical trainer, treadmill or stepper.
- Call your friends: If you prefer to train outside or go to the gym, ask some friends along. Exercising with friends can make it more fun, and you can count on your friends to keep you accountable.
3. Try these hibernation tips
Sleep is essential for staying healthy and fighting germs. And according to Healthlinewe need more sleep than normal in winter.
As Healthline reported, a study published in 2023’s “Frontiers in Neuroscience” found “that people experience longer REM sleep in winter than in summer — even in artificially lit urban areas — and less deep sleep in fall.”
According to researchers at the Charité Medical University of Berlin, “human body clocks are set by the sun and changing day length and light exposure over the course of the year can influence our sleep duration and quality.”
Nicole Eichelberger, an American Board of Sleep Medicine-certified sleep expert, gave Healthline some tips on how to sleep better:
- Go to sleep at the same time every day and get up at the same time.
- Keep your room “cool, dark and quiet” and sleep on “comfortable bedding and a supportive mattress.”
- Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine.
- Do relaxation exercises before going to bed, such as ‘meditation, deep breathing or yoga’.
4. Winter vitamin D sources
According to Baylor College of Medicine, vitamin D is crucial for your ‘general health’ – but is difficult to absorb in the autumn and winter.
Mike Ren, an assistant professor at the school, said: “You need the sun high in the sky, not when it is rising or about to set, so that your body can effectively absorb sunlight to absorb the vitamin D. “
With the dark months upon us, it will be harder than ever to get the recommended 800 international units of vitamin D per day—which amounts to about 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure, according to the Baylor College of Medicine.
According to Health.comyou can start taking a vitamin D supplement in the winter, but experts recommend that you consult your doctor first.
And although vitamin D is not commonly found in food, there are a few foods you can include in your diet to increase your vitamin D intake. According to Health.com, those foods are:
- Fatty fish
- Fish liver oils
- Mushrooms
- Egg yolks
- Cheese
- Beef liver
5. Have a winter skincare routine
According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln“Cold air and low humidity can cause dry, itchy skin.”
During the winter, you may want to prioritize a particularly moisturizing skin care routine to keep your skin healthy and happy.
Here are a few things you can do to control your dry skin:
- Use a humidifier in your room.
- Apply lotion as soon as you get out of the shower or bath and apply lotion to your hands several times a day.
- Prioritize skin care products with hyaluronic acid – and apply them to damp skin, it is recommended Glamor magazine UK.
- Always keep a moisturizing lip balm on hand.
- Don’t clean your face too much.
6. Take care of your mental health
It’s not unusual to feel down around winter. In fact, it has an official name: seasonal affective disorder.
“(SAD is a) well-defined clinical diagnosis associated with shortening daylight hours,” said Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, a mental health expert at the National Institute of Health. “It interferes with daily functioning for a significant period of time.”
If you find yourself struggling with SAD every winter, there are a few things you can do during the fall that you think may help. Johns Hopkins Medicine:
- Get professional help: Seek advice from a certified healthcare provider.
- Light therapy: If you can, try to spend as much time near sunlight—sitting near a window or going outside, weather permitting—as you can. If you’re still not getting enough sunlight, you can try a SAD therapy lamp.
- Spend time with others: It’s easy to isolate yourself in winter, but spending too much time alone can be detrimental to your mental health. Try to surround yourself with loving family and friends, and confide in them about how you are feeling.
- Set realistic, achievable goals: Don’t overwhelm yourself by taking on more than you can handle. Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests: “Break big tasks into small tasks, set priorities, and do what you can when you can.”
- Get exercise: Try to exercise regularly if possible. You can start small, like walking or doing yoga, and work your way up from there.
- Maintain a nutritious diet: According to the article, try to eat “healthy, balanced meals.”