Winter Health and Wellness

"Use it or lose it!", I remind myself

Winter arrived this week with a bang and the lake effect snow machine is in full operation. On Sunday evening we got a modest 10-15 cm of snow, some of which melted on the still-warm ground. An Alberta clipper is expected tonight into tomorrow with another wallop of snow. Areas north of here had dangerous amounts of snow that have paralyzed transportation and caused power outages. In contrast, the winter weather in our region has been Christmas-card beautiful with large fluffy snowflakes and little wind.

My worn-out knees prefer biking to walking but as the picture on the left shows, the bike trails are covered in ice and snow. I headed out on foot today to get some exercise and sunshine but my walking muscles are definitely different than my bike-riding muscles. I am stiff tonight after walking only three and a half kilometres. 

I am reminded daily of the importance of exercise, especially as we get older. Establishing a consistent regime during the winter months is so important even when I would rather sit in my wing-backed chair with a mug of tea, a Christmas shortbread and a good book. 

My young co-workers go to regular or wall climbing gyms, take skiing lessons, skate, or play pickleball. I work with one therapist who goes to the gym at 5:30 AM before work every day. Another one teaches a 6:00 AM aerobics class at the YMCA before coming into work. That is definitely not my style! Being consistently active in a moderate way is beneficial, and much safer than all of the above for me.

Our days are shortening quickly as we head toward winter solstice. It is time to dust off my full-spectrum S.A.D. lamp and use it on overcast and gloomy days. Twenty minutes of light therapy in the morning improved my mood and energy levels last winter.

Recent studies have highlighted the contrasting need for total darkness at night. Even dim light at night (dLAN) from streetlights, digital clocks, screens and nightlights interferes with the natural production of melatonin in some people. LAN has been shown to increase metabolic dysfunction and inflammation in the body. This article from WebMD goes into the concept in more detail and has links to supporting research. I recently purchased a sleep mask and have found it very helpful in getting to sleep and staying asleep at night. There is safety in having a little light in the room if you get up to use the washroom. The sleep mask allows me to be in the dark without having the bedroom dangerously blacked out. 

Exercise and good sleep habits are two important pillars of healthy aging, the other five pillars being 

• a healthy diet
• adequate socialization 
• ongoing learning and cognitive stimulation 
• avoidance of smoking and excessive alcohol intake
• stress management and a spiritual focus

The trick is to integrate all this information naturally into our daily routines instead of having a long list of things we "need" to do. Even small changes can have positive effects on our health.

The more of my face that I cover, the younger I look!