March is the final stretch of our winter months and it is when a lot of people feel the punch of the season wearing them down. If you are feeling drained by our winter weather here are few tips on pushing through until spring arrives.
MOVEMENT- First and foremost get your booty moving! Movement shows with just 30mins of exercise you begin to get your juices flowing and releasing endorphins. What that means is the body releases chemicals analgesics and sedatives that interact with your brain receptors. These chemicals are manufactured in your brain, spinal cord and other parts of your body designed to reduce your perception of pain. The side effect is that they make you feel good about yourself, your body image and have a positive effect on your self-esteem. The chemicals have a similar effect on the body to morphine as our natural body’s chemicals bind to the brains neuron receptors, calming the body. Some even get a euphoric feeling from exercise known as ‘runner’s high’. Exercise gives a boost of your body’s natural energy. The right amount of movement produces the right amount of energy and endorphins in the body. Too little or too much movement has the opposite effect on the body. Unlike synthetic ‘feel good’ medicines our body’s natural chemicals that we release when exercising are not addictive or dependent.
Here is a long list of what regular exercise can do for you.
1. Reduces your perception of stress in your life
2. Improves your immune system
3. Helps you clear your thoughts
4. Wards off anxiety
5. Wards off sadness and depression
6. Improves sleep patterns (which in itself has a huge impact on the body)
7. Boosts your body image
8. Boosts your self-esteem
9. Makes you happier
10. Gives you a sense of direction with your physical body
11. Encourages you to choose better food (fuel) that also effects your mood and function of the body
12. Helps you loose weight or gain muscle
EAT FRESH FOOD- Food is fuel. The better the fuel, the better the engine, or your body. The more alive your food is the more alive you will be. Enzymes are present in food so the more you consume food that stimulates your body the better you will feel and function. I suggest to all my clients to consume at least one raw meal a day to encourage energy, body function and the productivity of positive thoughts. Through proper nutrition you can affect your brain chemistry in a good way. FACT= Eat clean. The less chemicals you consume the less you are effected by the surrounding environmental chemicals.
WEAR COLOURS- Subconsciously colours affect our mood. Self-induced colour therapy is great in winter when the weather is wearing on you, wear something that brightens up your step. Each person is drawn naturally to different colours based on personal preferences. In next month’s article I will discuss the health benefits of colours.
MEDITATE- Meditation is exercise for your mind. It teaches you to release negativity held in your body, improves your mood and helps you focus on your daily happenings or tasks more efficiently often resulting in more energy and improved mood. Meditation has a long list of disease prevention and emotional and psychological benefits. The more you practice meditation the easier it becomes. The first time is often strange and you don’t even know if you’re doing ‘it’ or anything at all. It’s because we are so use to always doing something or being entertained by our lives that we have to train ourselves to be in the state of meditation to reap the benefits.
BREATHE CORRECTLY- Correct breathing is at the top of the totem pole of our existence and performing it properly every minute can help us function better. It’s amazing that something that we unconsciously do every second is actually a tool always readily available to be one of the most powerful activities of our existence. Breathing properly can help with muscle tension, hormonal balance, joint pain, balancing emotional patterns, reduce blood pressure and improve your immune system. Performing it properly can help us function better, look better, and most of all feel better.
Caroline Tee , Owner of Horizon Health and registered C.H.E.K. Practitioner
