Winter is here and it's easy to let the cold temperatures keep us inside. However, it's still important that we get outside. I'm not talking about the walk from your car to the grocery store or the trip to your mailbox, I mean going outside and staying out.
Here are three key reasons to get out of the house and into the sun during the chilly winter months:
Absorbing the Sun Gives you a Boost of Vitamin D
The FDA recently increased the daily recommended amount of Vitamin D from 200 IU a day to 2,000 IU a day. Vitamin D is essential to developing healthy bones and fighting all kinds of diseases and illnesses. It has also been shown to give the immune system a healthy boost.Many adults and children alike don't get enough Vitamin D in their diets. The sun provides plenty of Vitamin D when exposed to your skin. Try to go for a nature walk during the day to get enough Vitamin D. Just make sure to stay warm.
Fight the Winter Blues
Playing outside, especially during winter months, can combat obesity and depression that comes from spending too much time indoors.
Exercise and sunlight together can get your blood flowing, providing organs with much needed nutrients to give us energy, stave off the blues and trim the waistline.
Enjoy winter activities with your family too. Try ice skating, skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. Maybe build a snowman or make snow angels. Have fun with your family and stay active.
Chilly Weather Will Not Make you Sick.
We have all been told by our mothers and grandmothers that we will catch our death of cold if we go out in cold temperatures. This is simply not true.If your kids play outside in the cold they will probably get runny noses (this is a natural way for the body to excrete bacteria in cold conditions) but not much else.
The only way to catch a cold is to catch it from another person, not just by being out in cold weather. However, you can get a slightly weaker immune system from the chilly temperatures, so stay away from people who are sick until you can warm up.
Just because the temperatures are a little uncomfortable doesn't mean you need to be stuck inside all winter.
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