Winter Wellness - Mood Boosting Renewal Tips
Ignite your fitness routine and re-energise your nutrition during the cold, winter months with seven expert tips from PT and wellness entrepreneur, Rachael Sacerdoti
Cold, dark nights and shorter days…but let’s thrive this winter, not just survive! With the change of seasons bringing with it shorter days and colder mornings it can be all too easy to fall out of love with your current yoga and fitness regime. But that’s a bad move: keeping active is essential to keep up morale, especially during the wintertime.
Finding the motivation to exercise becomes harder as the nights draw in, so changing up your routine to include mood-boosting workouts is vital for combating fatigue and keeping your energy levels high. This is even more important if you struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
In addition to your fitness, ensuring you are fuelling your body with goodness will energise you and keep you feeling strong and supple, inside and out. After all, nutrition plays a crucial role in helping to balance our mood and emotions, so knowing what foods to eat is imperative to a happier you. In fact, it’s probably the ultimate form of self-care.
Here are some top tips on keeping your wellness on track throughout the colder months:
"Finding the motivation to exercise becomes harder as the nights draw in, so changing up your routine to include mood-boosting workouts is vital for combating fatigue and keeping your energy levels high"
1. STAY PERKY AND POWERFUL WITH PROTEIN
Ensure you are getting enough goodquality protein in your diet (aim for 90g or more). Protein isn’t called the building block of life for nothing; it is vital for everybody of every age and is an essential part of a healthy diet helping to build and repair cells, bones, muscles, and joints. High-quality protein is key for supporting our health, wherever you source it from, whether vegan, vegetarian or otherwise. A hearty dish packed with protein that feels like a hug and will keep you fuller for longer.
2. CURB YOUR BLOOD SUGAR SPIKE WITH COMPLEX CARBS
The body’s primary energy source, carbohydrates are essential, yet way too many of us consume too many simple carbs that send our blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. Eating the right carbs with a low GI, such as whole grains, sweet potato, and quinoa will emit a slow and steady energy supply, stopping that sluggish feeling that always seems to hit mid afternoon and bring your mood down.
3. DRINK UP!
Water is the fountain of life as far as I am concerned, which is why it amazes me that we all need to remind each other to drink more of it! Not only does it feed the entire body and mind for better performance and mood, but it has many benefits for your skin, digestion, sleep, and hunger too, the list is almost endless.
Drink more for a longer, happier, and more comfortable life. Two and a half litres a day during the winter months should suffice.
4. RAISE THE ROOF AND YOUR MOOD WITH RESISTANCE TRAINING
Incorporating regular resistance training (either with weights or your own body weight) is an absolute must for anyone who wants to feel empowered. The most effective way to invest in your strength, lift your energy levels and speed up your metabolism, resistance training also helps with mobility, range of motion, and balance. And just think of the supple muscle tone. A great accompaniment to any yoga practice or other fitness activity.
5. SET YOUR ENDORPHINS FREE WITH REGULAR CARDIO
If you are bored with the usual running and cycling, get adventurous and try something fun and playful such as skipping – it is the best exercise for generating energy throughout the entire body. Or why not get Alexa to ramp up your favourite song as you dance like nobody is watching around the kitchen? Even hula-hooping is making a comeback thanks to TikTok! A brisk walk immersed in nature will also do the trick for those who prefer something a bit more low-key, or mindful. Anything that gets your heart pumping and blood flowing is going to do wonders for your overall health and mood.
6. ADOPT AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER OR WORK OUT WITH A FRIEND
This is a great one for the winter months. Having someone rely on you and viceversa for a workout or a practice can be the glue that keeps your motivation strong. It makes the entire experience more social, you can share your accomplishments and goals, cheer each other on, and lean on each other for support.
7. FEED YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Keep your body in tip-top condition and congestion free by making sure you are getting enough A, B, and C vitamins, along with fibre in your daily life. A happy and well-fed gut is definitely the key to a healthier body, along with a strong immune system to keep seasonal ailments at bay and help control inflammation. Sweet potato, pulses, spinach, carrots, and whole grains should be your go-to comfort foods.
Rachael Sacerdoti is the founder of It’s So Simple, a programme built around sustainable wellness to preserve youth and energy for as long as possible. Ideal for anyone looking to create healthy, mindful habits immediately, the It’s So Simple 12-Week Programme is available online.
A qualified personal trainer, with a degree in psychology, she believes that a combination of mindset, the right exercise, and wellthought- out nutrition is the formula for long-lasting, habit-changing results. Find out more at: itssosimple.co.uk or connect via Instagram @itssosimple_rs
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
