How to prepare your body for a healthy winter |
As the evenings get darker and winter approaches, there is an understandable tendency to look for something that will make us healthier almost overnight, whether that is a new supplement, an immune booster, a detox or the latest wellness intervention.
In reality, the most effective approach is usually far less dramatic. Good health is built through the things we do consistently, and autumn is a useful time to take stock of those habits before the demands of winter set in.
As a doctor, I think this matters as winter tends to expose areas where we are less resilient. We spend more time indoors, daylight hours fall, routines can slip, exercise may decrease and social calendars often get busier. Rather than trying to overhaul everything at once, I would start with the fundamentals: exercise, sleep, nutrition, recovery and, where appropriate, carefully chosen supplementation.
Exercise is probably the single most powerful intervention we have for long term health. Its benefits extend across cardiovascular health, metabolic health, muscle, bone, cognition and mental wellbeing, and maintaining physical capacity is increasingly important as we age. People often feel they need a perfect training programme, but consistency matters far more.
A combination of resistance exercise and aerobic activity is ideal, but simply continuing to exercise regularly throughout the winter months can make a meaningful difference.
Sleep is equally fundamental and often one of the first things to suffer when life is busy. It is not simply a period of inactivity. During........