It’s no secret that sunshine exposure offers an array of tremendous benefits for our bodies.
In fact, getting outside and in the sunlight has been shown to:
- Help us maintain or lose weight…
- Improve quality of sleep and reduce stress…
- Fight off depression and poor mental health…
- And even extend your life expectancy! (findings from a study of over 30,000 women in Sweden)…
But did you know that regular sunlight exposure also helps in our body’s production of vitamin D?
Vitamin D helps us to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in our body – both of which are needed to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
But more than that, maintaining healthy vitamin D levels has been shown to help protect us from disease, improve mental health and performance, and even positively impact our physical performance and recovery too.
The question is, what do we do in the cold, dark, winter months where the sun seems to barely shine?
#1. Supplement vitamin D
To assist our bodies in vitamin D production, consider a supplement.
Although small amounts of this essential vitamin can be found in common foods, the amounts are often too small to make an impact.
Fortunately, vitamin D supplements are now widely available and affordable, and are the ideal way to maintain our body’s production levels in the winter months.
#2. Get outside
Even when there’s cloud cover and greyer skies, we can still benefit from the sun’s light.
Experts recommend getting outside for 30 minutes between 8 and 9 – maybe before you sit down at your desk for work in the morning.
And if you’re able to get outside at lunchtime, why not get a ‘double benefit’ and take a walk at the same time? Because remember – motion is lotion!
#3. Light up the room
The effects of darker mornings and evenings can range anywhere from making it harder to get out of bed to, in more extreme cases, SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder – which can have a serious impact on an individual’s wellbeing.
One solution to this can come in the form of ‘Therapy Lamps’.
These lights work by simulating the sunlight that’s normally missing during the winter mornings and evenings and promotes the production of important hormones such as melatonin and serotonin – which affect our sleep and mood.
Finally, consider an adjustment!
Although many of our patients first come to use to help relieve pain or health issues, regular adjustments will help your overall health and wellbeing – vital in these cold, dark months.
And were always up for a brew and a chat to help keep your spirits high!
If you’d like to know more, give us a call on 01925 411005 and we’ll tell you the ways in which we can help!
Alba Spinal Health centre
