Despite what these sunny Mid South afternoons may tell you, it won’t be long before the temperatures become a lot cooler and the days even shorter. We may want to stay in bed when it’s still dark, move less when the evenings are chilly, or just curl up with comfort food. That won’t make for a healthier fall season. But, I’m here to give you 5 ways to feel fabulous through fall and into the winter months – even if you usually feel like hibernating.
It feels like it was just summer with it’s bright mornings, active afternoons, and plentiful veggies – which is why the sudden transition into fall and the cooler months can be a challenge. With the winter coats comes the onslaught of stuffy noses, achy joints, and humidifiers. Our bodies often feel less than their best as they adapt to a winter routine.
It doesn’t have to be that way. While we can’t completely avoid catching a cold or fighting fall allergies, we can give our body, mood, energy, and immune system a helping hand. There is so much to do and see in our Collierville and greater Memphis community this time of year, let’s make sure we feel our healthiest to enjoy it.
So here are 5 tips to keep your body moving and feeling your best this fall:
1. Boost Your Immune System
You need to boost your immune system to help prevent those colds and sniffles that come home when the weather changes. Healthy habits such as frequent hand washing, staying hydrated, and getting extra fruits and vegetables in your diet will keep your family free from germs. Green tea and prebiotics (together in my favorite drinks HERE) are both great immune boosters if you need some extra help.
2. Get Ready for the Time Change
The switch from waking naturally with the sun, to darker mornings that feel like night, can be a struggle. By going to bed earlier the week before the clocks change, we can make the transition smoother. Put the phone away an hour before bedtime and relax with some warm decaf tea. Natural supplements like the Sleep Strips I use can also support deeper sleep to make throwing the covers off easier in the morning.
3. Buy In-Season Produce
An abundance of tasty fall vegetables makes it easy to reap the benefits of a high fiber diet. Cabbage, carrots, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, pumpkin, kale, and squash are some of my favorites. With fiber and antioxidants, they support digestion, mood, detoxification and fat loss goals. Add them to the crockpot with broth for an easy stew, or roast then in the oven with your choice of protein for a quick dinner.
4. Walk Outside
The moderate temperatures of autumn are welcome after a sweltering summer. Let’s enjoy them before we need a hat and gloves. Who doesn’t love the crisp air and crunchy leaves under their feet in fall? Get out during lunchtime for sunshine and Vitamin D to boost your mood (we often need this as the days grow shorter) and your concentration will be improved for the rest of your day.
5. Find Ways to be Active Indoors
A lot of us will ‘hibernate’ as it starts to get colder. Especially for those who enjoy trail running or outdoor boot camp classes, indoor exercise can seem boring. But, no matter the season it’s important to get in some daily movement to lower your stress, tone your muscles, keep your bones strong, and burn some calories. The best way to do this is to prioritize it on your schedule each day.
AND a Bonus # 6 . . .
Try a 30 day Functional Nutrition Liver Detox. What does that mean? Follow a systematic program that allows your body to push out stored toxins and clean up from the instead out. The results is more energy, balanced hormones, better sleep, fat loss, decreased inflammation, and you set the stage to end the year in your healthiest body ever.
Reach out to learn more about this 30 day program or more personalized health coaching on our Peak Wellness ‘Amanda Inspires’ website (and yes you can navigate a detox through the holiday and still enjoy your favorite foods).
We all know it will be even harder to eat well, sleep well, and exercise as we approach the holiday season. So plan now to keep all those good habits you created during the warmer months to follow you into fall and winter.
You may be thinking . . .” easy for you to say go for a walk and keep active”.
I know that if you have knee, hip, or back pain it may feel even worse as it gets colder making staying active more of a challenge. Are you worried to walk and keep active afraid your pain will get worse?
Our Doctors of Physical Therapy are experts and getting people moving pain free – no matter your age, stage of life, or what an MRI told you. Request a call from a pain & movement specialist HERE.
