Energy and resilience for the dark season

admin

As winter approaches and the darkness increases, we move the training indoors. The darkness affects our fitness and colds are lurking around the corner. How do you keep your energy levels up and your resistance up during the heat? These tips will keep your mind fresh and the colds at bay.

Exercise energy and resistance

Exercise is an effective remedy for fatigue, but it also improves immunity. Regular exercise is the best way to get the most out of it, and people who exercise a lot have been shown to cope better with both colds and flu than those who exercise less. Two or three times a week of brisk exercise for at least half an hour at a time is enough. Excessive exercise does not make the effect more effective, on the contrary, it makes it less effective. It is therefore important not to overload the body, as overloading weakens the immune system. The best way is to fit exercise into your daily routine.

Eat a varied and sufficient diet

In addition to fatigue, tidal surges cause changes in appetite. Darkness causes an increase in appetite, especially sweet tooth. Fatigue only makes it worse.

Eating the right foods can reduce fatigue. It pays to choose healthy options, because eating healthily will keep you feeling more alert and you'll stay alert to make healthy choices. Eating a healthy and adequate diet also improves your immune system.

Eat regularly and remember to include vegetables at every meal. Eat plenty of berries and fruit. Eat fibre-rich foods and cut out excess white cereals and sugars. Also make sure you get enough vitamin D. If you're not quite sure you're getting enough vitamins, you can take a vitamin supplement.

Sleep and recover

In the dark season, we need more rest and sleep. The need for sleep can increase from several minutes to a couple of hours during the night. So make sure you get enough sleep. If your night's sleep tends to be short, take several restorative and relaxing moments throughout the day. Relaxing will boost your mood and help improve your quality of sleep.

Short naps can also help to refresh, improve performance and boost your mood, but take no more than 15 minutes during the day so that naps don't interfere too much with your circadian rhythm, making it difficult to fall asleep in the evening. Sleeping for long periods and staying on the corner of the sofa can also increase fatigue, so remember to counteract this with exercise.

If you're tired in the morning and can't seem to get the day going, spend half an hour in front of a bright light bulb. A daily dose of bright light will help reduce both fatigue and sweet tooth. Alternatively, try a dawn light as an alarm clock.
Make sure you get enough rest. Vigorous exercise does help with fatigue, but too much exercise will only counteract the effect and cause more fatigue. Exercising too hard, combined with stress and fatigue, can lead to the fatigue and flu cycle of the century.

When the flu strikes

Despite a healthy lifestyle and being prepared, the flu can still strike. When flu symptoms are at their most acute, rest. Rest is the best treatment for the flu. You can also try a painkiller or cold medicine, zinc and vitamin C to help ease and shorten the symptoms of the flu. Take your time and don't rush to exercise. The longer the fever lasts, the more fever-free days you need before returning to training.

The return to training should be gradual. A gradual return to training will help you avoid after-effects and prolonged symptoms. Once the symptoms have eased, you can start to take light exercise, for example walking outside. When you feel well in your everyday life, you can start to exercise lightly. Gradually increase the amount and intensity of the exercise, but also try to ease up on the exercise that doesn't feel good.

You can return to normal training when light exercise feels good and doesn't make you feel worse. However, leave the more intense workouts for later and let your body recover properly. Check how you feel and return to even lighter exercise if you don't feel well.