6 Reasons to Bundle Up and Get Outside During Winter
Brrrr! Winter is here, and if it is chilly in your neck of the woods, you might be tempted to hunker down and stay indoors until Spring arrives.
Winter can really take a toll on our moods, making even the warmest personalities turn as chilly as the air outside. It’s getting dark at 5 pm now, and you might find yourself making excuses to stay inside, bundled up in cozy blankets in front of the fire.
However, staying indoors during the colder months won’t do anything to improve your mood or your health – in fact, research suggests the opposite is true.
You don’t have to spend hours outside to reap the benefits. Just a few minutes a day has been proven to improve mood and physical health.
So, bundle up and get out there!
Here are six reasons to get outside during winter.
Sunlight helps your body produce Vitamin D.
On sunny days, go outside and soak up some of the “Sunshine Vitamin” – Vitamin D. It is unique in that it is a vitamin AND a hormone your body can make with help from the sun. Research suggests that low levels of vitamin D are associated with mood disorders and depression.
Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon. Because we spend more time indoors during winter, it can be hard to get enough – which is why getting some sunlight is so important during the colder months.
Some vitamin D researchers have found that somewhere between 5–30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen usually leads to sufficient vitamin D synthesis. Indoor light therapy can help, too.
Time outdoors boosts your immune system.
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