6 Reasons Why You Should Still Go Outside During The Winter Months

I know. I know. Who wants to be outside freezing! But let’s be honest, winter comes sweeping through with more than just a cold chill, it can bring on some dark times as well. Staying inside all day and night can certainly lead to weight gain and can even affect your mood.

Check out these six reasons why you should still make your way outside even in the winter months:

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• 1. It helps to lift your spirits.
• Getting active outside, especially during winter months, can combat obesity and depression that comes from spending too much time indoors. Exercise and sunlight together can get your blood flowing, providing organs with much-needed nutrients to give us energy, stave off the blues and trim the waistline.
• 2. Even winter sun still gives you a boost of Vitamin D.
• Vitamin D is essential for developing healthy bones and fighting all kinds of diseases and illnesses. It has also been shown to give the immune system a healthy boost. In the winter, many people don’t get enough Vitamin D in their diets, however, the sun provides plenty of Vitamin D. So just bundle up and get out there!
• 3. It allows you to be present.
• Go out for a walk and leave your phone back inside. A brisk walk outside will not only make you conscious of how your body feels but it also gives you space to have your mind present. It will boost dopamine levels which can also stave off the cold weather blues.
• 4. It can improve your memory.
• When you’re out and about, seeing scenery can affect the brain’s cognitive function. Researchers found those who walked around an arboretum showed an improved ability to recall by almost 20 percent, while those who walked around the city didn’t really improve. “Interacting with nature can have similar effects as meditating,” said one of the researchers, Marc Berman, in a University of Michigan newsletter. “People don’t have to enjoy the walk to get the benefits.
• We found the same benefits when it was 80 degrees and sunny over the summer as when the temperatures dropped to 25 degrees in January. The only difference was that participants enjoyed the walks more in the spring and summer than in the dead of winter.”
• 5. It charges up your immune system.
• Researchers found that “forest bathing” (walking in a forest) decreased stress hormones and increased intracellular anti-cancer proteins. Plus, even walking out in the cold, may help keep illnesses at bay because it flushes bacteria out of your airways and lungs.
• 6. It won’t make you sick.
• Just because the temperatures are a little uncomfortable doesn’t mean you need to be stuck inside all winter. Unfortunately, we’ve been told our entire lives by our mothers and aunts that we’ll catch a cold if we go out in the winter. However, this simply isn’t true. In fact, the only way to catch a cold is to actually catch it from another person, not just by being out in cold weather even though colder weather does weaken the immune system.

Make sure to enjoy winter activities with your family by trying ice skating, skiing, or snow sledding. Maybe build a snowman or make snow angels. Just have fun with your family and stay active!

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Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.