How To Stay Healthy In Winter? Top Self-Care Tips

Winters in India may not be particularly harsh as compared to other countries but they can be tough on our health due to the change in the temperature and the climate.

To help you stay healthy during winters, we've prepared this blog post to answer all your health-related questions in winters.

Why Do You Need To Take Special Care Of Your Health During Winters?

During winters,  we experience dry air and decreased humidity, which can damage our skin and hair.

The sudden dip in temperature causes the blood vessels to contract and slow down the circulation of blood.

This leads to breathing problems during respiratory infections like cold, cough, and so on.

Certain foods such as nuts also tend to cause problems such as difficulty with indigestion due to their high content of oil or fats.

Moreover, due to a steady change in the weather, your body may take a while to adjust to the new temperature which is why you need to take extra care of your body. This will help you deal with the abrupt change in weather.

How Can You Keep Healthy During Winters Then?

Here Are Some Helpful Tips: 

Stay hydrated. Your body needs to stay hydrated throughout the day (unless you're sick) because water is essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind. If you've been feeling sluggish and run-down these days, it is probably because you haven't been drinking as much water as your body needs. In fact, the reason why people feel tired and drowsy during winters is mainly due to dehydration.

The best way of staying hydrated is by drinking enough water or warm drinks throughout the day. And another thing to keep in mind – don't rely on just a single cup of tea or coffee throughout the day for your daily dose of caffeine. Instead, have a few cups every now and then so that it doesn't affect your sleep at night. You can also drink hot chocolate or lemon juice with honey instead of tea/coffee if you'd like something warm but without any caffeine content.

Moreover, you should avoid very cold beverages since they tend to send a cold shock to the system and cause you to wake up in the middle of your sleep.

So, just remember – keep sipping throughout the day and stay hydrated! Don't forget that warm drinks also count as liquids.

Stay warm. Staying warm can be essential to your health during winters because it tends to cause drowsiness, which can help you fall asleep easily.

When it's cold outside, wear warm clothing and use a thick blanket or comforter to sleep on top of your bed. Moreover, make sure that the bedroom is well heated before hitting the sack.

Eat healthily. Eating healthy will make sure that you have sufficient nutrients in your body during winter. It also helps boost your immune system so that you aren't laid out with flu or another respiratory ailment during winters.

Exercise regularly. Winter is the best time for exercise because the heat generated due to physical activity increases circulation around the body and warms up muscles and joints. Don't forget to wear clothes appropriate for exercising outdoors. Avoid being lazy and just waking up early to go for a stroll or play some outdoor sports. It's important to keep the body warm during winter. Don't just run around in shorts and t-shirts because it can be really dangerous.

Wear thick socks. Socks made of wool or fleece guarantee that your feet will remain warm throughout the day even during harsh winters where temperatures may drop below zero Celsius (32 Fahrenheit).

Are You Experiencing Breathing Problems During Winters?

If your answer is yes, this is due to the dryness of the air during winters.

You need to drink enough water to avoid experiencing issues with your respiratory system.

You need to work out more often. If you just walk or run, that's not considered a workout. Try something that will challenge yourself and push your limits when it comes to working out. Hit the gym and do some heavy lifts, run on a treadmill for 30 minutes, go cycling or jogging in parks in your area for an hour or so every day to build muscles and eliminate fat in your body efficiently.

Practicing yoga and breathing exercises can help you too.

Kneading exercises can be helpful as well because they loosen tight muscles all over the body including the chest, back, and legs. Massage is another great way to ease your muscles.

If your breathing problems persist, you will need to visit the doctor. 

Why Does Hairfall Increase During Winters? How Can You Prevent It?

Hairfall increases significantly during winters because the body's metabolism slows down during this time. That means, to compensate for the low metabolism rate, your body increases its fat storage so that it can produce energy when required. This is why you tend to gain weight in winters and hit a plateau in summers or lose weight during monsoons.

If we talk specifically about hair fall, the problem mainly arises due to nutritional deficiency and cold weather exposure.

Your scalp has blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to the roots of your hair and if your internal mechanisms are damaged due to nutrient deficiencies, then these blood vessels become weak and hence fail to supply enough nutrients like protein and vitamin D, making one more vulnerable to hair fall.

The thyroid gland also plays a major role in controlling your metabolism and if your thyroid gland is dysfunctional, then it will impact the rate of protein synthesis in your body.

To Prevent Hair Fall During Winters, You Can Do The Following:

Nutritionally, one should include more high-protein food like eggs, chicken, lean meat, and fish in their daily diet.

You can also take calcium tablets with vitamin D for the proper formation of bones which helps in the normal functioning of all glands in your body.

Other supplements like b complex capsules improve overall health conditions including hair fall.

If you have a dry scalp, make sure that your oil frequently since this will provide the necessary moisture for your hair. You can also apply coconut oil, olive oil, or almond oil to prevent dryness. Avoid going out in strong winds since it will damage the existing hair as well as cause breakage of new hair.

To reduce stress levels, meditate daily and do yoga or any other exercise that you enjoy doing.

Include plenty of vegetables and fruits in your diet as these both have high contents of antioxidant which fights against free radicals and prevents cell damage due to pollution and dust particles present all around us.

Proper sleep is essential during the winter months which helps improve thyroid function and metabolism rate along with the immunity system to fight against infections making a person more prone to ill under such conditions.

What Is The Home Remedies For Dry Skin And Hair In Winter?

Dry skin and hair during winters are a result of decreased humidity in the air. To prevent skin dryness, here are a few things you could do:

1. Moisturize your skin and hair before going outdoors. Lotions and hair oils can be really helpful in the winter months. Massage the oil into your hair and scalp to keep it well hydrated. For best results, massage them right after taking a bath or shower especially when you feel that your hair is brittle because of cold weather. 
2. Wear warm clothes such as gloves, socks, hats, etc while stepping out of the house. Do not forget to moisturize your hands with lotion before putting on gloves so that they are protected from harsh weather conditions too.  
3. Though hot showers are tempting in winters avoid them because they make your skin excessively dry. Instead, try warm showers because it gives a relaxing effect on your skin and is recommended by most dermatologists. 
4. Don't forget to apply sunscreen while stepping out of the house because even snow reflects sunlight which makes it more harmful to your skin.   
5. If you want to skip the sunscreen, make sure that you protect your face by wearing sunglasses or a cap as much as possible during the winter months because they are prone to dryness also due to UV rays reflected by snow.  
6. Avoid wearing tight dresses or tights in winter because it might cause wrinkles on the skin (especially by the thighs).    
7. Do not wear make-up since you will sweat which could clog pores and may cause severe infections like acne, boils, and so on.  

Conclusion

You should care for your health irrespective of the seasons.

In this blog, we have covered how you should take care of yourself during winter.

In the upcoming blogs, we will brief you about your healthcare in the monsoon and summer.

Stay tuned for more. :)