It’s good for us to get out in the winter weather, writes Lianne Jones. While it might seem like an ordeal because it’s wet and cold, the health experts are keen to encourage us all to get out and about.
Staying cooped up indoors all winter, probably with the windows kept shut, contributes to poor health and poor mental well-being. Fresh air and exercise, no matter the weather, helps to keep spirits up and bodies healthy.
My motto is to change: “It’s raining, I’m not going out” to “It’s raining, if I don’t go out I’ll just sit in here wishing it wasn’t raining.”
The British autumn and wintertime offers unique landscapes and opportunities to enjoy our natural wildlife. But we need to wrap up warmly to enjoy these surroundings.
Invest in good quality boots, jackets and gloves to get the most out of your winter activities. Just as important is coming home to a warm environment and I found an interesting read on the cost of different heating options for my home on the Verismart Heating website. It seems that electric radiators can be much cheaper than storage heaters, and as they can be easily set up without professional help, the actual switch to electric radiators is easy and inexpensive to make.
Outdoor play is essential for children to learn skills and studies show the physical activity aids motor development, improves Vitamin D levels and promotes better behaviour and social skills.
Here are some fun activities to do with the family when the weather turns:
Create a nature book with a notebook and some pencils and draw pictures of plants, animals and insects. You can also collect twigs and leaves to glue in the book.
Go for an off-road bike ride. What’s better than swooping down a hill on your bike, riding really fast and getting splattered in mud?
Mountain biking. Pic credit: Graeme Darbyshire on Flickr
Build a bonfire and claim back the calories you burned doing all the other stuff with some tasty s’mores.
Take a flask of hot chocolate and some stale bread to your local park and feed the birds. Or take some soup and sandwiches and have a picnic in the park.
Get others involved, such as friends and family, because shared experiences are great fun and more likely to be repeated.
Start simple with a nature scavenger hunt looking for things you can use for crafts later such as pine cones to decorate the Christmas tree.
The best mantra for winter is to get outdoors whatever the weather, but simply dress for the occasion.
- The article was written by freelancer Lianne Jones.