We’re all waiting for the Winter to end and the Spring to begin, but what if we spent the last few weeks of Winter perfecting our routine so that our skin can look hydrated, moisturized, our bloating and puff lessens, our fatigue lessens and we feel calmer, nurtured and resourced? Winter should be more quiet, restorative, for the Spring to be more energizing. There are 3 more weeks to continue nurturing your system before the change of season.
Effective ways to continue rejuvenating and resting during the Winter Season:
- Skin Care: Evaluate your skin now and course correct for the Season.
Months in the cold and dry climates may have been harsh on the skin, causing it to be drier and fine lines to be more prominent. Does your skin show signs of dehydration and/or lack of moisture? It is great to look for creams, oils, or balms that can assist in protecting your skin in the Winter months. Notice how your skin is currently handling the products in your skincare routine, and consider reducing the active ingredient percentages to be more gentle and calming during this time. Strong active ingredients such as prescription retinoids, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid may be too strong to use in full percentage dosages throughout the drying Winter months that can already be very harsh on our skin. None of my products have these.
I swear by pure aloe vera as my toner to hydrate my skin and oil to moisturize it (rosehip, coconut, argan, sweet almond, jojoba, etc.).
Hydrating from the inside out is extremely important as well for maintaining and cultivating healthy skin that is resilient during the Winter months. Drinking plenty of water and fluids supports the hydration of the skin internally. I also recommend fresh fruit and vegetable juices for hydration that sticks.
Nourishing broths and creamy soups not only are warming and comforting for the body (allowing an opportunity to incorporate warming and healing spices and other feel-good ingredients), but they also support healthy hydration and moisture in the colder seasons where the skin needs extra support.
- Give your bones and joints some nurturing heat!
Taking an epsom or himalayan salt bath every night can deeply warm the body, inducing relaxation and promoting sleep. I started to take a bath every night last week and found that the beneficial side effects carry way into the next day. I cannot tell you how essential this is. It also is a remedy against evening snacks. Not easy to eat when soaking. Please avoid all beauty products and soaps, just salt. Bath products are generally toxic with petroleum ingredients, fake smells, etc. (no bubble bath is natural) and may increase your fat build-up and deregulate your hormonal balance, and I’m not talking about your intimate hygiene… If you like scented baths for relaxation, pour a few drops of essential oils in my bath. These days, frankincense, jasmine, or patchouli because I want a floral feel. You can pick any scent. Lavender, rosemary and eucalyptus are classic and really helpful to combat the common cold that’s going around these days.
To further promote bodily warmth you can warm your bed with a hot water bottle or heating blanket. This will help you sleep as well as get up in the morning because you will not feel freezing. Seek warm environments by lighting a fireplace, visiting a sauna, and wearing cozy, layered clothing. Wearing a hat protects the brain from the cold and can prevent mood swings.
You can stay warm and nourished through consuming hot cooked foods such as soups, broths, and steamed or roasted vegetables. Spicing things up with warming spices such as ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon is a great practice to incorporate during the Winter months. Consider adding warm teas to your daily routine including these spices, which will also help to warm your body during the cold season.
- Get extra ZZZZ. Any chance you can get to bed earlier?
The days are shorter and the sun is at a lower angle, so you may feel more inclined to get more rest, which makes total sense. Colder weather makes it so that our bodies expend more energy during the day in order to keep us warm, resulting in our bodies craving more time for recovery and rest. Would it be possible to catch the wave and go to bed at 10PM?
Making sure that we are waking up at around the same time each day and getting sunlight in our eyes as soon as we can is essential for cueing to our body that we are up and at ‘em for the day. This early morning sunlight can also help reduce symptoms of seasonal depression by elevating serotonin levels.
Later on at night, it is important to avoid blue light that often is emitted from phone and computer screens, TVs, and bright overhead LED lights in the hours before bedtime. Blue light interrupts melatonin production, therefore messing with sleep patterns. Putting on blue blocker glasses and switching on the night time settings on phone and computer screens prevents exposure to blue light, and can help you achieve more restful sleep and a more regular circadian rhythm.
- Winterize your Workout Routine
Harsh workouts may not be optimal for our bodies during the colder Winter months, as we are “off-season” per say. Even though you may feel lower energy levels during the Winter, it is important to remember that you can acclimate your workouts to be suited to this time of restoration. Periodization is a thing!
Spring and Summer are coming and with them, more intensive athletic events. Fall and Winter months are meant for restoring and repairing and trying something new:)
So for the next 3 weeks of winter, opt for calming, restorative practices such as yoga (especially with heat building movements), walking, and stretching, and reduce the frequency and amount of strenuous workouts such as high intensity interval training and power lifting, keeping peak performance for peak season. Instead work on your base cardio training and consider mobility work, physiotherapy for a chronic pain, and new ways to move and new activities. I’d love to invite you to a FREE week of online training with my Fit & Fab Workout Community. SIGN-UP for the free week of training HERE.
If you live in an area covered in snow, seasonal outdoor activities can also offer a lot of fun variety to your workouts by incorporating activities like skiing or ice skating. Outdoors activities are especially great because they encourage us to be exposed to sunlight, making the most out of the limited sunshine during the Winter months.
I’d love to hear what you’ve done differently this winter and how you can keep nurturing yourself until the Spring returns? It will make your start of the next season that much more powerful. It’s like stepping up a level.
