Keep winter from putting a freeze on your healthy habits
By Michael Gibbs
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
“It is more difficult to exercise and stay healthy in winter, but people need to make the effort,” says Sharon Roberts of the Lake County Health Department. As a gerontologist, Roberts is an expert on the unique health concerns facing older adults. Winter, she says, can be particularly hazardous.
Along with the usual suspects like influenza, pneumonia, and the common cold, winter heralds in nasty weather conditions that heighten the risk of falls and potential fractures. To make matters worse, people exercise less, making their immune systems more susceptible to illness.
Ice and snow on outside paths, streets, and sidewalks make exercise difficult in winter, Roberts explains. Bad weather conditions can make driving to the health club a hazard in itself. As a result, people just stay home. “When it’s dark, people tend to sit down and watch TV,” Roberts says.
This inactivity leads to poor eating habits as well as a host of mental and emotional health risks, namely depression, says Dr. Tom Morris, medical director at Monarch Landing. “Balanced physical health includes eating right, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise.” According to Morris, these three ele ments are the keys to great health in winter and beyond.
Walking towards winter health
Setting a goal to stay fit in winter is one thing, but how do you accomplish it when the weather outside is working against you? John and Barbara Baber of Naperville found a solution: they go for long walks indoors.
“No matter how bad the weather gets outside, I can walk from my home to the restaurants, the Fitness and Aquatics Centers, and anyplace else inside Monarch Landing without having to step outside,” Baber says. That convenience is wonderful, he says. “It was a big reason why we decided to move here.”