With winter in full swing, it's very tempting to stay indoors, snuggle up, and settle into hibernation mode. Especially for those contending with daily pain, we know just how tough it can be to stay active and find relief in colder weather.
Not only can the colder, darker months dampen our moods and motivation, but seasonal changes actually physically affect those with pain! The colder weather can create stiffness in the joints and muscles causing pain from work, exercise or daily living to flare up.
But despite how unappealing and difficult exercise might seem at this time, it’s the very thing you need to help keep pain at bay. So, if you’re finding it difficult to summon the motivation and keep a regular routine, take a look at our list below on seven ways to stay active and manage pain this winter.
1. Bundle Up
If you’re someone that enjoys going for walks during the summer months, don’t let winter stop you! Just wear lots of layers to insulate your body properly. When the weather cooperates, try to walk during the daylight hours. Not only is the sunshine on the snow beautiful, but the sun can make you feel warmer, improve your mood and help you get some much needed vitamin D.
2. Walk Indoors
If you can’t take the cold even with layers, go for a walk at an indoor location such as a mall, a community centre such as YMCA or on a treadmill at an indoor gym. Even something as simple as walking around the mall with a friend is an effective way to maintain activity and get your daily steps in while avoiding the cold weather.
3. Make a Gym Home
If you don’t want to leave the house, then bring the gym home with you. By creating your own home gym you can avoid the cold weather, while still managing to get your body moving, stretching and building muscle. There are many exercises you can do without any equipment. These can include lunges, crunches, pilates, yoga and more.
4. Get Motion In Wherever Possible
Take advantage of any opportunity for small wins throughout your day! For example:
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator.
- Park just a little but further from the entrance then you usually do.
- Move your joints through passive motion exercise when you're sitting in front of the TV.
The DR-HO’S MotionCiser is a device that uses passive motion to help loosen tight muscles and joints in the lower legs, keeping your feet relaxed and engaged. Plus, it has a heating feature with 5 different temperatures – perfect for warming you up and soothing your body after a day out in the cold!
5. Maintain a Healthy Diet
Despite your best efforts, maintaining a constant level of physical activity during the winter can be very difficult. Just do your best wherever you can! But, if you’re unable to keep up with consistent exercise, it’s all the more important to ensure you are consuming a nutrient rich diet. Specifically, an anti-inflammatory, low-sugar, low-carb diet that’s rich in healthy fats is the best solution for those looking to manage pain.
6. Schedule Healthy Habits
Goals that are specific and obvious are easier to attain. And the best way to accomplish this? Define the behaviour, time, and location.
For instance:
- Right after you wake up, stretch at home. This will help with posture and increase mobility.
- Sign up for scheduled workout or yoga classes at your local community centre (group accountability is great!) or plan your own at-home workouts and put them in your calendar. If you’re following a YouTube class or working off of any online program, include the link in the event so everything is planned out beforehand.
- Plan out your meals ahead of time. You are much more likely to eat healthy if you have healthy meals prepared.
- Drink water from one of these bottles. It can help map out your daily intake and keep you on track.
By planning out your diet and exercise ahead of time, staying active and pain-free will just become a part of your daily routine.
7. Use a TENS Device
When the weather gets colder, it can cause slow blood circulation to the hands and feet as the body attempts to preserve its core temperature.
The DR-HO’S Circulation Promoter contracts and relaxes muscles at different rhythms to temporarily increase local circulation. Designed by the retired Chiropractor, Dr. Michael Ho for his patients, the Circulation Promoter uses the same pain therapy technology as clinical chiropractic and physical therapy settings:
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) – conducts safe, gentle electrical currents that temporarily reduce pain signals from reaching the brain.
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) – works to contract and release muscles, temporarily increasing local circulation and soothing sore, achy muscles.
- DR-HO’S Proprietary AMP (Auto-Modulating Pulse) – delivers over 300 types of constantly-changing stimulations so your body never gets used to the treatment.
And the best part is that you can do this all from the comfort and warmth of your home, no appointments necessary.
Do Your Best to Stay Active and Pain-Free This Winter!
We understand that maintaining an active, pain-free lifestyle is challenging even at the best of times! Throw in the colder, darker weather and no wonder it feels like an increased burden. But it’s important to remember that no matter how much we don’t feel like moving or eating healthy – it’s usually the very thing our body needs when it comes to managing pain.
Just focus on what you can do today. No matter how small the step, it’s still forward progress. So bundle up and get outside, book that fitness class, or try a TENS machine to help stay active and pain-free.
At DR-HO’S, we offer a 90 day money back guarantee on all products sold on our website. So buy it, try it, and see if it’s the right product for you.
