Ciara Smullen of Dartry Health Club has provided her top 3 tips for increasing your energy in the winter from a personal trainer.
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Vitamin D! The best vitamin you are not getting in winter, obvious right?
We take Vitamin C for oxidative stress and immune health especially around the winter months! When we get sick we are even told “Have you not taken your Vitamin C or Super multivitamin!” But actually the reason you have less energy, feel sluggish and are actually grumpy is because you have not gotten your adequate amount of vitamin D!!
Research has shown that you need at least twenty minutes of direct sunlight every day to get an adequate amount! Believe it or not there are actually 37 tissues in the body that need the daily requirement! A deficiency cause can cause a range of issues such as brain dysfunction, loss of muscular strength, memory and concentration! In fact, there has been a correlation of people with a vitamin D deficiency to be more overweight!
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Don’t listen to Adele ( Not in the winter anyways)
Did you ever notice that in summer that more uplifting music is released! Music can even attribute to a 30% increase in motivation when exercising! Generally, we will choose our music to match our mood. Therefore, if you are not feeding yourself with upbeat tunes just because you’re under “because of” the weather you will find yourself having less motivation! Give yourself the best opportunity to have more energy by allowing music put you in a better mood!
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Grab a scarf and put on a jacket and don’t be SAD!
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) causes people to reach out for more carbs! This is our bodies coping mechanism for the cold! Many studies have shown that reaching for high calorie and fatty foods another one of our coping mechanisms of the brain to produce happiness. Really obvious but simple tip; wrap up over the winter months and eat more salmon! Not only is salmon one of the best forms of protein to help you feel fuller for longer but also has plenty of Omega-3’s! These good fats have been shown to improve mood characteristics.
Although these tips seem obvious, most people don’t even know they are deficient in Vitamin D, listen to more downbeat music and eat more carbs in the winter! As a result, you feel this lack of energy, have insulin imbalances, and put on more weight. You are also downright miserable in the winter and are begging for the summer months! It doesn’t have to be this way. Simply follow these expert tips today.