).png)
To get podcast summaries just like this in your inbox on the last Friday of every month, sign up to my email list:
View the show notes for this podcast episode on Katy's website here.
I thought this would be a great episode to summarize for the month of December. For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we're deep into the gray days of winter. This episode helps us understand why we should still make movement and getting outside a priority, and gives practical tips for doing so.
1-paragraph summary
Many of us have a natural (and understandable) tendency to want to hunker down inside and, for lack of a better word, hibernate throughout the winter. But considering the myriad benefits of moving, and specifically moving outside, we would be well-served to find sustainable ways to progressively condition ourselves to the winter weather and get ourselves (and our kids, if we have them) moving outside throughout the winter.
Key takeaways
It’s very common over the winter to see an increase in seasonal colds and flus, as well as mental health issues (i.e., seasonal affective disorder). People often suffer from a general malaise and sluggishness over the winter. Many people gain significant amounts of weight over the winter holidays as well -- this is most likely due to the combination of increased calories from holiday celebrations and decreased movement.
Both movement and light exposure (even on cloudy, gray winter days!) are antidotes to those common health issues.
Temperature fluctuations should not be avoided but rather actively sought out. Being in a perfectly temperature-controlled environment 24/7 for 365 days per year is an aspect of modern life that is NOT conducive to optimal health. As Katy says, going outside your house in cold weather is not going to kill you! That mindset is crucial to cultivate. Avoiding all discomfort is a huge source of health issues – both physical and mental.
Making our bodies more resilient to temperature fluctuations should be a priority. We need to put ourselves in situations where we’re not relying on some external source of heat to keep us warm, which forces our bodies to generate its own heat.
Key quote: “When you expose yourself to temperature, your body has to contract various muscles, including the tiny ones all over your skin, to deal with temperature variance…Your body can actually generate its heat, but you have to train your heat-generating muscles, and so regular exposure to cold is part of that process.”
Another quote on your body’s ability to generate its own heat: “What happens [when I’m exposed to colder temperatures] is my body works more. My metabolism clicks up and now when I’m out walking, I’m doing more work than just moving my arms and legs for the walk. I have all these other muscles – including my skeletal muscles – moving blood around – so that my core temperature doesn’t change.”
Find ways to progressively increase your exposure to cold. Start small and build on it – gradual building of tolerance is key. Here are some ideas:
Make a habit of going outside during all seasons. During the fall, when the weather starts getting slightly uncomfortable and not quite so inviting as spring and summer, still force yourself to go out regularly. Key quote: “The more you go outside [first] in sunny [weather] and then fall [weather] and then kind of rainy, not yet freezing weather, you’re getting used to it. Your body is slowly developing the skills to regulate temperature.”
Bundle up and just go outside your house for a few minutes at a time throughout the day – even if it’s cold outside!
Once you’ve gotten used to that, practice going outside without being quite so bundled up – remove a layer at a time and give your body a chance to adjust to that, over time.
After you’ve taken a warm shower, turn the water to cool, then over time make your finishing shower colder and colder. You can also spend progressively more time in the cool/cold water over time to build your “heat-generating muscles.” Don't push yourself too much too soon.
This does NOT mean that your movement habits need to be exactly the same in winter as they are in summer. It’s normal and natural to conserve energy and move less in the wintertime, and to redirect some of that energy inward – towards creative pursuits like music or poetry or sewing, or whatever activity you’re inclined toward. So Katy is not necessarily recommending an intense exercise regimen all winter long, but instead encourages you to try to get more natural movement built in to your everyday tasks.
Example: walking to the post office or coffee shop, or whatever errands you would need to run anyway.
If you have kids, consider allowing them to dictate how much they bundle up when going outside in cold weather, because they just might be more attuned to their own physiology than even you are! If you have a child who is resistant to being overly bundled-up, try letting them go out without a heavy coat and see what happens (probably a good idea to have their coat on hand in case they do get too cold). Parents have a tendency to go overboard on the bundling up of children (much of this is socially driven, because we think of being cold as an inherent negative).
If you are stuck inside, here are some ideas for the whole family to get moving in a way that seems natural and fun (not forced “exercise”):
Dance parties
Obstacle courses
Follow-along movement videos
Chores (i.e., folding laundry) done on the floor
Active games (i.e., Twister, yoga cards)
Practical applications
Take stock of your current movement habits, as well as the current weather challenges you're facing. Just try to add some amount of outdoor movement to your current routine, even if that's just parking farther away and walking 5 minutes to that warm, cozy coffee shop.
If it's a lack of appropriate gear that's holding you back from being outside, consider investing in warm winter clothing that allows you to layer up (Katy recommends SmartWool), or a good pair of winter boots (Vivobarefoot and Xero Shoes are my recommended brands).
To get podcast summaries just like this in your inbox on the last Friday of every month, sign up to my email list:
コメント