3 Ways to Put Some SPRING in Your Step…
Image thanks to Josiah Mackenzie
Just when you think that winter will be a never ending black and white Bergman film, we move our clocks ahead an hour and the sun starts shining in Technicolor again. Spring is finally here. It’s time for spring-cleaning… inside and out.
This isn’t just about clearing out the garage. This is about you.
Between holidays and being stuck inside hiding away from the cold, winter has done a number on most of us. But with that all behind us for now, we can take advantage of all the opportunities Mama Nature brings in spring…
Let the sun shine
What’s a great natural source of vitamin D? If you said halibut, you’d be correct, but there’s a much easier way to get this important vitamin than going to the fish market. Just walk out your front door.
Your body absorbs vitamin D naturally through exposure to sunlight, and you need it. It’s good for bone health, immunity, and mood, and it’s so easy to get – just hanging in the air waiting for you to walk on through it.
One of the reasons some of us get so sluggish through the winter months isn’t just because of the drop in temperature. Our bodies stop getting as much of this vitamin as they need. Deficiencies in Vitamin D have been associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and cancer, so it’s easy to see how important it is to get in your system however you can.
Mind you, don’t get excessive about it. We all know the detriments of long-term sun exposure. So remember that moderation is key: don’t be out there too long without appropriate sunscreen.
Go Green
Have you been eating your vegetables?
For our daily requirement, we’re supposed to get two and a half cups of the stuff, plus at least two cups of fruit, as well as three plus servings of whole grains a day. That’s just hard to do when there’s snow on the ground, and there isn’t as much of a fresh abundance or our own ambition to get what we need. We’d rather fill up on the comfort food, that’s probably processed and preserved and not much comfort in the long run. We need to keep our systems fueled on premium grade sustenance, and there are a lot of us who haven’t been getting that job done for a while.
Now that spring is here, the produce section of the grocery store is going to start looking more appealing. You know this stuff is coming to you live and direct from the farm, so get some. A spring salad sounds much better than a winter salad. And a lot of this stuff isn’t just seasonal; it’s good for you! So, get out and smell the roses, and head out for fresh supplies, while they last.
Get Out!
Spring is the perfect time to shake off the lethargy that seems to naturally come with the colder, darker days of winter. Shake out of that hibernation mode and take advantage of the great outdoors. Heck, the bears do it, and so should you.
So, while you’re out enjoying all that free sunshine, you might as well put your muscles to work. Any activity is a boost to your metabolism. Getting yourself into motion will help to keep you in motion, and being physical doesn’t just help your body, but has also been proven to improve your mood. And we all want to feel better – inside and out.
There is plenty to do out there in the world. After being cooped up for months in the confines of the home, we now have a chance to get some fresh air. Time to dust off that bike, get out those hiking shoes, or shoot some hoops in the park. Step away from the computer, (don’t worry, it’ll still be here later) and get moving!