Your Health

The weather outside may be frightful, but taking care of your health is still insightful! Here are some tips for keeping in shape during these cold winter months.

1. Plan exercise a week in advance. It's too easy in the winter time to think we'll exercise tomorrow . . . and tomorrow never comes as we burrow deeper in the warmth of the house.!

On Saturday or Sunday, write down what your exercise plan will be for the next 7 days. Choose your activities and excercises and plan how long you'll commit to them each day. Getting an exercise pal to work out with you can also help you stick with it.

2. Google for indoor exercises. If you're used to getting in your steps or walks or workouts outdoors, go to Pinterest or Google to get ideas on easy things you can do in the house. Check for exercises that will stretch, target, and tone specific parts of your body.

3. Watch those crafty carbs! In the cold weather we tend to crave carbs and comfort foods more . . . and then we want to curl up and sleep. Carbs also increase our serotonin levels, making our brains think we're happier. Instead of carbing out, start the day with a protein-packed breakfast and keep healthy food and snacks on hand. Try to increase the serotonin levels with exercise.

4. Cleanliness is next to healthiness. Wash your hands a lot in the winter to keep from getting sick-especially clean them before you touch your face or eat. The CDC reports that handwashing reduces respiratory illnesses and colds by up to 20 percent.

5. Dream of warmer weather . . . or anything else for that matter. Just get plenty of sleep no matter what you dream about. During sleep, our bodies restore and rebuild. So little sleep, little time to rebuild, and little opportunity to properly fight off infection.

6. Become heart aware. Cold weather can cause your blood vessels to constrict, minimizing blood flow to the heart. So if you're feeling pains in your chest, take them seriously (and remember heart issues with women often are more likely to present in the back of the body).

Remember that shoveling or pushing a snow blower can also increase blood pressure and heart rate. So combine that with constriction of blood vessels and that means you have a decreased oxygen level to the heart. That can trigger a fatal heart attack. If you must work outside, come inside often and give yourself breaks.

7. Dress in layers. To stay healthy, make sure you're dressing properly-better to be warm than in style! Include socks and waterproof shoes (spray shoe protector on cloth shoes). Invest in a pair of warm boots. And don't shun the scarves and gloves!