Winter Tips to Stay Healthy & Warm

Winter is coming, you’ve all seen the meme. Here are some tips to stay healthy and warm through the winter.

Healthy Diet:
In the cold months we crave foods high in fats and carbs. Balance your diet and cravings with fruits and salads, even if they won’t make you feel warm inside.

Wash Your Hands:
There are lots of germs in the winter and they love your hands. So make trips to the sink after you cough or sneeze.

Exercise Regularly:
Laying on the couch under a ton of blankets is so inviting, but moving your body will keep you warm and give you energy. Plus exercise helps with mental health as well by relieving stress and boosting your mood.

Get 8-10 Hours of Sleep:
This means don’t stay up late on your phone when you have to wake up at the crack of dawn for school. Getting plenty of sleep will help you in school all year round, but it also helps fight viruses in the winter to keep you healthy.

What to Wear:
Keep warm by wearing a quality base layer, or any base layer. I prefer merino wool, but even cotton long johns will make a huge difference. Running tights make a great base layer, and are hardly noticeable under pants.

Next add small layers that are easy to remove. A t-shirt or henley (my favorite) make great layers that look nice.

Next add a sweater, fleece, or flannel shirt (if you’re going for the lumberjack look). You can take this layer off and store it in a bag or your locker easily.

Next, get yourself a good winter coat. Weatherproof coats also help keep the wind from seeping through your jacket so I recommend finding a good one.

Heat escapes through your head, hands, and feet most, so keep your extremities warm. I like merino wool socks, they wick moisture from your feet while keeping them warm. Then have a wool hat and scarf, and a good pair of waterproof gloves or mittens.

Here is the secret to good gloves: keep your wrists warm first. Go ahead, take a couple of seconds to look at your wrists. Look at all of those veins moving blood around. If you keep that blood warm, then your hands will stay warm. A good pair of gloves or mittens will have a thick, warm, tight fitting layer to cover your wrists. Believe me, this will make a huge difference. You can also find glove liners in sporting goods stores or ski shops. These will help keeping your fingers warm.

Other tips and suggestions:
Put a hot water bottle under your covers before you get into bed to heat up your bed. You can also put your pajamas on the hot water bottle before you put them on so they are warm as well.

Take shorter showers in lukewarm water to keep your skin from drying out. I know that’s the last thing you want to do on a chilly morning, but if you suffer from dry, itchy skin, this will help.

Keep dry shampoo with you to reduce hat hair. Apply it after you take your hat off to help lift your roots.

Keep a humidifier going to help reduce dryness and nose bleeds.

Get out in the sun as much as you can.

I only believe in wearing waterproof boots, but Uggs exist and people love them. If your footwear isn’t waterproof (like mine is) use sandwich bags. Put them over your socks to help your feet stay dry.

If your parents make you, or pay you, to shovel snow, spray your shovel with cooking oil. This will help the snow fall off the shovel.

Put zip ties on your bicycle wheels, at even intervals, to create snow tires.

Use an umbrella when it’s snowing, it will keep the snow off of you.

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