This week, we will be discussing ways you can maintain a healthy fall season. With the weather slowly cooling down and Fall being a few weeks away, there are a variety of things you can do in order to keep up a healthy lifestyle. While they may seem evident, it’s quite easy for them to slip one’s mind. Below, we will discuss ways to maintain a healthy fall season so you have an idea of some of the things you can do.
Reduce Time Spent Sitting: As the weather starts to cool while not being too chilly, it’s best to take advantage of this time. If you’re able, try to spend less time sitting as it can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. One way you can do this is by incorporating walks into your daily activities, whether inside or outside. If outside, you can take the time to observe your surroundings and see the changes occur in nature as we gradually near fall. You can also try doing tasks around this house. For example, switching out your wardrobe for your fall attire. If those aren’t doable options, then you can try making the most out of it by doing some chair exercises or stretches to help keep your body moving.
Limit Screen Time: With regards to screen time, try not prolong your exposure to it. “Humans are exposed to increased amounts of light in the blue spectrum produced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which can interfere with normal sleep cycles.” (Nash et al., 2019). This is one of the reasons why in our blog Importance of a Sleep Schedule, we state how it is beneficial to either avoid or limit the usage of electronic devices (i.e. cell phone, laptops, televisions) prior to your bedtime. To make things easier, you can try setting time limits for yourself for how long you spend on an electronic device. It may also prove beneficial planning what you are doing (i.e. documentation for work / teleworking, watching a movie, browsing the internet, etc.). If that proves difficult, you can try incorporating screen breaks by taking your eyes off the screen and looking away at a far distance, even if only for a minute.
Stay Warm: Since it’s slowly becoming cooler, you want to make sure that you dress appropriately for the weather. This can include wearing thin long sleeve shirts, a light jacket, a scarf, or even a hat. Of course, this all depends on what the weather is like in your area. In addition, since it’s still sunny, you should still try to use sunscreen if you plan on spending a prolonged amount of time outside.
Practice Good Hygiene: You want to make sure that you do what you can to reduce the risk of falling sick. This includes the basics like washing your hands and sneezing or coughing into your elbow, but also extends to showering or bathing often, if not everyday. Not only can it help you feel refreshed, but it can relax you and potentially provide some time for you to clear your thoughts. It can even boost the immune system! One article states how their intervention group “showed a 29% reduction in sickness absence for (hot-to-) cold shower regimen compared to the control group.” (Buijze et al., 2016) Another article talks about how immersion bathing “exerts hyperthermic action that induces increased blood flow and metabolic waste elimination.” (Goto et al., 2018). All in all, cleansing yourself proves to be quite beneficial. Also, you want to make sure you moisturize properly afterwards so your skin won’t dry out.
You can check out our blog for additional tips: Scheduling New Fall Healthy Habits
Buijze, G. A., Sierevelt, I. N., van der Heijden, B. C., Dijkgraaf, M. G., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. (2016). The effect of Cold showering on health and work: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161749
Goto, Y., Hayasaka, S., Kurihara, S., & Nakamura, Y. (2018). Physical and mental effects of bathing: A randomized intervention study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9521086
Nash, T. R., Chow, E. S., Law, A. D., Fu, S. D., Fuszara, E., Bilska, A., Bebas, P., Kretzschmar, D., & Giebultowicz, J. M. (2019). Daily blue-light Exposure shortens lifespan and causes brain neurodegeneration in Drosophila. Npj Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-019-0038-6
Feature Photo by Steph Cruz on Unsplash
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Blessing Bolomope, Student Intern
B.S. Nutrition & Food Science – Dietetics
University of Maryland, College Park | 2020