It’s gray. It’s cold and windy. There’s snow in the forecast (dammit, there even is here in the DFW metro area today). The flurry of the holiday season has come and gone, as has the shiny gloss on the New Year.
Beginning in particular for our own family roughly two decades ago living in northern Utah and later Montana, we always found the month of February long, cold, and dreary, and often reached the peak of the winter blahs this month.
In Montana especially, while we were running an equestrian operation and show barn (along with my medical practice), starting and ending every day with barn chores in the dark cold dampened enthusiasm of our crew (the entire family comprised “the crew”) mightily.
February in particular was always a challenge for us, if only we’d known then what the past few years have taught to fight back with…
Whole foods, cooked at home. After the flood of indulgent treats tempting you all holiday season (and perhaps the weeks following), now’s the time to dial things back and embrace the better food options that abound – we’re talking nutrient-dense, whole foods, quality proteins, and good fats. Innovate with recipes and reach for a few different ingredients that are novel and interesting.
Sleep, sleep, sleep. Most of us have room to further optimize and improve our sleep habits and hygiene. Short days and lack of true daylight exposure can wreak havoc on your sleep cycle; be intentional and dial this one in.
Move all day. Granted, moving all day during the winter for those in winter climes can be a challenge – some days it’s simply impossible to take that quick walk outside around the office, shop, or school. Intention matters, small burst of movement and activity add up, and incorporating micro-workouts can really help.
Fitness matters (go ahead, change the routine, and grab some new gear). Several clients this year have had particular difficulty keeping their fitness and workout routines in play during Q4.19 and Q1.20. There are a number of ways to address this one – it may be time for a new class, a winter gym membership, or perhaps my favorite – a new home program DVD/subscription or new equipment (heavier kettlebells for us this year).
Update your winter wardrobe. It’s unbelievably easier to be active in winter (and the shoulder seasons too if you live up north) if you update your winter / cold weather gear. Today’s tech fabrics make layering up to meet whatever weather challenge is on the docket today a piece of cake, and you can tailor your updated wardrobe to suit your fashion sense and activity demands with endless options.
Gain strength in numbers. Genuine fellowship is vital for all of us year round, but having a workout buddy, group, club, or even a gym squad can make a world of difference when the winter blahs drain your daily motivation to keep things moving.
Implement a news and social media fast. The world will keep spinning without you updating your social feeds and seeing who said what in the news today. More on this topic to come, and by the way, turn the damned TV off to.
Plan ahead for bumps in the road, and remember how easy it is to recover. Personally I find it most challenging to be compliant with a keto/Primally-focused nutrition plan, the food plan that makes me feel the very best month-in and month-out, during the holiday and immediate-post holiday window.
I’m a HUGE believer in the value of being metabolically flexible, and while that does allow the occasional indulgence without disrupting your health and fitness dramatically, there’s a big difference on what I could and what I really should eat.
Those who thought it was difficult to break your initial carb-dependency need to be particularly cautious of wandering too far off the healthy path (whatever that might be for you). At least getting back on the wagon can always be done, and now you know how to best make that work for you.
Be pro-active when that runny nose and scratchy throat show up. And finally, it’s cold and flu season – even being mindful of exposures there are times when exposure is simply out of your control. Be damned proactive when the first sign of symptoms start or when you’ve had a known, significant exposure.
Hang in there; spring isn’t that far off…
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