Winter Blues

It's getting colder, wetter, there is more condensation on the windows, more breath can be seen when we breathe in & out, and there are hot water bottles entering beds. It's this time of year when you may feel a little tireder, a little more sluggish, and are wanting to move a little less.

Did you know that sleep research found that in Winter we may need up to two more hours of sleep each night. Which if you are like me there is no way I can squeeze an extra half hour, let alone two hours into my sleep schedule. So this can leave us being a little tired.

In the winter, low levels of ambient light, along with shorter days means a reduced exposure to the sun and therefore vitamin D. This can also cause us to feel tired or fatigued.

In the winter months some people are affected by Seasonal Affective Depression SAD.

In winter we wear more layers and our body is less exposed to judgement, so any motivation that might be delivered from appearance may no longer be a primary driver.

With all of this going against us, it is no wonder we want to stay at home, get cosy and put some telly on and just chill in the warmth.

An article in the independent last year claimed "A fifth of adults see their exercise levels drop by as much as 37 per cent during the winter months, a survey claims."

I do not know about you, but in this time of year, I may overindulge in the beautiful treats that are around. There is the leftover halloween sweets, the beautiful winter ginger biscuits, the awakening of the warmed mulled pie with a dash of swirly spray cream and a side scoop of luxurious ice cream. The hot toddies to get rid of the latest cold going round. The warming hot chocolates needed after coming in off the school run, where it was raining ....again! Or I succumbed to a bottle of baileys my friend gave to me as she wasn't going to finish it - well I did - doh!

Now we have listed all the ways that winter is fighting against us, let's have a chat why we should fight back and tell the winter blues to sod off.

1) exercise is great for the immune system which means we are less likely to get colds, flu, and that blooming COVID

2) exercise is fantastic for well-being, lets avoid seasonal, or general depression and keep our spirits high by releasing the happy hormones in our body via movement, and by talking to people, which is so nice to see a happy face in these darker days.

3) exercise is linked to better sleep, and as we have heard we might need a little more during this time of year, and whether we can get that or not, we can at least give us the best chance of having a fantastic nights sleep.

4) exercise is for now, tomorrow and forever. If we look after our body today, we do not need to go on a crash diet in summer. If we look after our body today, we can worry less about blood pressure, cholesterol, heart attacks/disease, diabetes, osteo, cancer and reduction in our balance (bad balance leads to falls and broken bones).

Now that we know the 4 fantastic reasons we need to keep moving this winter, how can we ensure we are moving even though motivation might not be there?

- Join a class, have someone be accountable for you.

- Have someone check in with you and remind you to come to class

- Have someone check in with you if you haven't attended class

There is an intrinsic thing where people don't want to lose money so if you have paid for a class you will encourage yourself to go, more than if it is a free class.

If you need gentle encouragement to keep on track this winter, then drop me a note https://www.thankupilates.com/contact. I am your lady to keep you accountable.

Keep warm this winter, and keep moving.

Chantal 💜