Against winter fatigue sports, light and water

Sport, light, water: tips against winter tiredness

07/12/2014

Unhappy weather and gray skies hit many people's minds and lead to general lack of motivation and despondency. Above all, the dark winter also makes you tired. To better cope with the winter fatigue, some tips should be followed.

Winter makes you tired
Gray skies, dark days, low temperatures: The weather in winter causes many people to chronic fatigue and listlessness, in the worst case even to a winter depression. But there are ways to deal with the winter blues better. For this, some recommendations should be followed, such as adequate exercise or a reasonable diet. The „Frankfurter Rundschau“ (FR) is dedicated in a recent post various tips against winter fatigue.

Movement boosts the circulation
First of all, there is enough exercise, because those who do sports regularly usually do not feel as tired as those who regularly exercise „exceptionally“ fail. Exercise boosts the circulation, activates body cells and can strengthen the immune system. That those who move less, also feel rather tired, as regular athletes, has also shown in scientific research. For example, the FR mentions the example of a study by the University of Georgia, where seated subjects felt less tired and more energetic after six weeks of training. However, it is not recommended to have peak sports performance before going to bed because it makes you very upset and therefore can not sleep well.

Necessary dose of light
Another point that often makes us tired in the winter is the lack of light. But keep in mind that the sun shines in spite of the gray sky and can provide light for the necessary dose. It is therefore worthwhile taking a walk even with thick cloud cover, for example in the office break, so that the body can form the important vitamin D. The body covers 80 percent of the need for vitamin D with the help of the sun by producing the vitamin from the skin with sufficient UV light. In the case of a vitamin D deficiency, sufferers not only experience fatigue, but can also develop symptoms such as lack of concentration, difficulty sleeping, skin problems or bone pain. As the FR writes, you can get a daylight lamp for the apartment, which, however, can hardly keep up with the sunlight. In addition, to get up a light alarm for the very personal sunrise.

Ensure adequate fluid intake
It is also important to ensure adequate fluid intake. If the body gets too little of it, it can trigger fatigue. In addition to fatigue, headache, palpitations or low blood pressure may be signs of dehydration. It comes to mental and physical performance losses, in particular the ability to concentrate and react. Experts often disagree on the minimum daily intake of liquid, according to the FR, it should be one and a half liters a day.

Breakfast did not fail
The food also plays an important role in how fit or tired people feel. Even if a study by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis suggests that breakfast refusers increase, one should not skip the meal in the morning. On the one hand, you feel exhausted more quickly, and in the morning, you are more likely to use calorie bombs in the mornings, and you also increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. A breakfast based on cereal and dairy products as well as fresh fruits and vegetables is recommended. Furthermore, the diet should not be mainly based on fatty foods, as it makes the daytime very sleepy.

Switch off technical devices at bedtime
We also recommend changing showers. Even if it takes over, you should take a shower in the morning alternately cold and warm, so as to stimulate the circulation. By cooling the immune system is also strengthened. To make it more bearable, you first start with the warm water. But for the invigorating effect you should end the changing bath with the cold shower. Furthermore, it is advised to stay away from computers, tablets and smartphones for one to two hours before going to bed because their glaring light can suppress the hormone melatonin, which regulates the sleep and waking phases. The TV should stay out. Not only the technical devices but also ourselves, should be as good as possible „shut down“. (Ad)