How to Beat the Winter Slump: Fitness and Nutrition Tips for Cold Weather

It's coming to that time of year in the Southern Hemisphere where many people start wearing warmer clothes, craving hearty comfort food, and would rather spend their evenings watching TV in bed than go to the gym.

If winter has you feeling as flat as graphene, don't worry, you're not alone. June to August can be a time when your motivation, energy, and mood can easily erode.

But it doesn't have to be that way!

With a few smart tweaks to your routine and a bit of willpower, it's absolutely possible to stay active, eat well, and feel great all winter long.

In this post, we'll show you some easy ways to do it, so you'll be fit and raring to go come spring!

Why Winter Messes with Your Mood and Body

Before highlighting how you can beat the winter slump, it's worth briefly mentioning why it happens in the first place.

For a start, the shorter days and chilly temperatures affect your schedule. But they also impact your biology. During this time, your body produces less serotonin (the feel-good chemical) and vitamin D, which can lead to sluggishness or a dip in your mood.

Add in the fact that there are often fewer opportunities to get outside and move about, and it's no wonder motivation levels take a hit. 

However, that is precisely why being intentional about your movement and meals during winter is so important. It can help you feel like yourself again, or even better.

Smart Fitness and Nutrition Tips

So, what can you do to stave off the lack of energy and motivation that afflict you during the winter months?

Here are some good strategies you can employ.

1. Eat Well

Winter can often be a time when you carb-load on comfort food. But doing this can be a major contributor to your sloth. While it might feel good to have that kebab with the works or a hearty morning fry-up, you need to be aware of what you are putting into your body.

There is nothing stopping you from eating soups, curries, stews, and even burgers. However, it is important to make healthy choices and prepare these meals with good quality ingredients.

It is particularly important to eat lots of fruits and vegetables as they provide you with the minerals and vitamins you might be lacking from the cold weather. Vitamin D, for one, is harder to come by in winter, so it's worth boosting your levels with foods like mushrooms, eggs, and fortified milks. Similarly, eating plenty of leafy greens, legumes, and lean meats can provide you with the iron and zinc you need.

If the last thing you feel like doing on a cold winter evening is cooking, then consider using the MACROS Sydney ready meal delivery service. Their food is designed by nutritionists and delivered to you already cooked. So, you just need to heat them up in the microwave when you are ready to eat them.

2. Drink Plenty of Water

It is important to drink water all year round, especially in winter, as it is essential for a wide range of bodily functions. These include regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells, and lubricating joints.

Water also aids in digestion, flushes out waste products, and helps prevent constipation and maintain normal bowel function. In addition, it also safeguards you from dehydration and contributes to you feeling less fatigued and experiencing higher energy levels.

As a general rule, men should drink at least 2.5 litres of water a day, and women are recommended to consume a minimum of 2 litres.

3. Take Supplements

During the winter months, your body may experience nutrient deficiencies due to factors like reduced exposure to sunlight and changes in dietary habits.

Vitamin D and B12 are particularly important to consider during the colder months of the year. However, you should consult with a doctor or nutritionist before committing to taking something like iron or zinc tablets.

4. Get More Sleep

When we lead busy lives, it is easy to sacrifice sleep. However, getting a minimum of seven hours of good quality slumber every night is vitally important to prevent you from succumbing to a winter slump.

Sleep is crucial for maintaining your overall health and well-being, as it allows the body and brain to rest, repair, and recharge. It is also essential for your physical and mental health, as well as for memory, learning, and keeping you in a good mood – the latter of which is important in keeping your spirits up.

5. Exercise

Exercise is vital for our physical and mental health and offers us a number of benefits.

To start with, it helps us to manage our weight and reduces our risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It also improves our cardiovascular health, strengthens our bones and muscles, and boosts both our mood and the quality of sleep we get.

Ideally, you should jog or walk outside in the fresh air because the fresh air will do you good, and the natural light will help to reset your body clock. Just make sure you rug up in warm, layered activewear to avoid being put off by the cold.

If the weather is too bad for you to go outside, there are plenty of workout videos on YouTube, including everything from high-intensity sessions to relaxing yoga that you can do.

6. Improve Your Mindset

If you really want to avoid falling into a winter slump, then you need to improve your mindset. Therefore, instead of dreading the cold, try reframing winter as a time for renewal and reflection.

A positive mindset helps you make better choices, gives you more energy, and provides you with a greater sense of well-being. Here is how you can go about adopting one.