Fight the winter blues by enjoying all the health benefits of winter activities
By: Kerry Foreman, Owner and Founder of Muskoka Mornings®
Often in the winter, so many of us can begin feeling low due to colder weather and lack of vitamin D, and sunshine. As many as 35% of Canadians complain of having the “winter blues,” according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Another 10 to 15% have a mild form of seasonal depression, while about 2 to 5% of Canadians will have a severe, clinical form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The symptoms often begin with one feeling fatigue, lethargic, sad, and unmotivated and can intensify on a case to case basis.
If you are looking to avoid being one of these statistics or are already struggling, we are here to help! One of the best ways to beat the winter blues is to keep active, and find enjoyment in winter activities. Keeping active throughout the dark winter months can help increase your overall physical health and improve your mental health as well.
Get Active:
Playing outside or taking part in outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, tobogganing, skating can greatly improve your mental health through winter. As you are doing these activities, the serotonin and Vitamin D levels in your body increase, which, in turn decreases your anger, anxiety and depression levels. Regular exercise helps release “feel good” endorphins into our brain improving your overall wellbeing. Any type of activity that gets you outside during the day light and breathing in fresh air will help reduce that sadness, and help the winter months go by much quicker!
Warm Up:
Whatever winter activity you choose to partake in, make sure you warm up after with one of our delicious and protein-packed latte or hot chocolate recipes. Incorporating No Yolking™ 100% Egg White Protein Powder into your post-activity snacks will help nourish and recover your muscles. A great latte to try is our Golden Protein Latte which helps ease joint and muscle pain with all the benefits of turmeric — perfect for after a snow shoveling session! And the kids will love our No Yolking™ Protein Hot Chocolate Latte which is not only delicious but filled with antioxidants to help boost everyone’s mood.
Upcoming Winter Events in Muskoka:
If you’re looking for some fun ways to get out and active this winter, check out some of the great community events going on in our area!
- January 27th and 28th – Bracebridge Fire and Ice Festival
- Skate through the forest on the outdoor skating trails at Arrowhead Provincial Park
- Skate the rink or snowshoe along the trails at Muskoka Lakes Farm and Winery
- February 3rd to 5th – Port Carling Winterfest
- Visit Deerhurst Resort for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, skating, snowmobile tours and more.
