5 Ways Seniors Can Stay Healthy in Winter and Beat the Winter Blues
Winter is the harshest season of the year in Canada -- especially here in Orilla -- and one that can easily last for four or five months: with an erratic cycle of cold fronts, snow storms, and ice and slush on every sidewalk and street corner.
For seniors especially, winter can put up a major barrier to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, as our favourite outdoor activities and spaces are no longer available. Even a relaxing walk around the neighbourhood turns into a major ordeal, requiring donning our winter wear, heavy boots and then watching our step to avoid pitfalls such as black ice.
No wonder we all find ourselves battling the winter blues, as our exercise levels and emotional state shifts during the stay-indoors months.
But there are ways seniors can push back against the winter blues, and keep yourself in better shape physically and your mood up, while finding ways to enjoy the outdoors smartly and safely.
Start or expand your indoor exercise routine
If you aren’t yet regularly exercising indoors, winter is the best time to start.
Some exercise options here include:
Sign up for a local gym and try a light workout. If your neighbourhood has a gym, look into signing up for the winter months. Many gyms will have seniors rates or even a free trial. If you live in a retirement community, now is the time to check out the exercise room!
Start some at-home exercising. There are a range of simple exercises perfect to do in your home or suite, including wall push-ups, seated twists and more.
Light yoga. Yoga is accessible to everyone, regardless of fitness or flexibility. There are several easy poses you can try out without fear that will help keep you physically agile throughout winter.
Start a new class or group activity
Keeping yourself busy is important in the winter -- especially if you participate in an activity that lets you socialize with others.
This is why winter is an especially good time to look at picking up a class. These can be based around exercise at your local YMCA or community centre, or let you indulge artistic talents with painting or cooking. At Sundial Lakeview Retirement Residence, we offer a full schedule of group activities, from crafting to game nights and more, which are great for keeping the winter blues away. Check out some highlights on our Facebook page.
Explore indoor gardening
You don’t need the outdoors to garden. In wintertime, the light is perfect for an indoor garden. All you need is a nice spot by the window, some containers, seeds or starter plants and a bit of time!
Indoor gardens can be very rewarding, livening up a space, and also yield healthy vegetables, such as small cherry tomatoes, herbs, lettuce greens, carrots and more.
There is no limit to your ambitions for designing your indoor garden, whether you want to keep it simple or let it really grow large.
Find time for short, safe walks
Don’t give up on the idea of outdoor walks during winter. Wearing layers and with the right winter boots, you can still head out for a fun and safe excursion. But even if you don’t go that far, getting outside will give you access to an important factor in beating the winter blues -- sunshine.
Exposure to natural light and Vitamin D is especially important during the indoor-months of winter, as it is linked to the winter blues -- AKA seasonal affective disorder. In winter we need more Vitamin D, and brief walks during mid-day when the sun is out are an effective way of getting it.
Keep extra focused on a balanced diet
While maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is important all year-round, it is especially key during winter. This is because during the winter cold-and-flu months we need our immune system to be working at maximum strength.
It’s also important because our body needs to get vitamins like Vitamin D more through our diet than from natural sunlight. The truth is that during winter, it’s easy to slip from our healthy eating routines. As the cold and shorter days affect our energy levels, that in turn can lead to shortcuts like replacing a complete meal with a microwaveable frozen pasta dish, and not keeping our fridges full of the fruits and vegetables we need.
Some simple ideas for healthy eating in the winter include cooking more slow cooker meals like stews or soups that can last several days, adding more easy-to-cook root vegetables like carrots and beets to your plate, and snacking on nutritionally rich foods like nuts, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and berries.
One final word on healthy winter living
If you’re looking for an Orillia retirement community that puts healthy living first, you’ve found it. Sundial Lakeview features a range of amenities and services to make sure you stay healthy and happy, from our chef-run kitchen, friendly exercise room, and regularly community events and group activities. If you want to discover what makes Sundial living, we encourage you to contact us today and schedule a complimentary tour of our residence. Our friendly and supportive staff are happy to answer any questions you have.