Keep Your Blood Flowing This Winter With These Five Activities

When the temperature drops to what feels like arctic conditions, it is hard to stay motivated. You know that staying sedentary has a negative effect on your body, so how do you stay active when the snow falls? We have a few ideas to keep you moving:

Keep walking
If you have been following our blog series, you know that we are big advocates for walking. Walking keeps your mind and body healthy. If you don’t want to bundle up and head outside, try searching for other ways to keep your stride. Find a gym that has treadmills and bring your favorite music or magazine along for the walk. Want to change up your scenery? Head to your local mall and walk a few laps.

Focus on home improvements
Keep your energy level up by tackling a home project. Does your spare room need reorganizing? Is your home office overrun with loose documents? Keep warm and be productive by crossing items off your spring-cleaning list early.

Start Volunteering
Want to use your active hours for the good of others? A quick search online will show several volunteer opportunities in your area. Are you an animal over? Stay active by volunteering at your local shelter. Soup kitchens are always in need of extra staff around the colder months as well. Use your spare time to improve your health and help others in your community.

Find Home Exercises
The Internet is a wonderful tool! You can find thousands of home-based workouts and complete them in the warmth of your living room. There are many free tutorials that help focus on strength, yoga, cardio and other forms of exercise. Winter is a great time to experiment with different variations of physical activity without worrying about the stress of a class or workshop.

Don’t forget about mental health
Of course, it is an admirable goal to stay physically fit over the winter, but don’t forget to exercise your mind too! Pick up a few new books from the library or find crossword puzzles and other brain teasers to keep your mind sharp.

Remember, staying active will improve blood vessel health and blood flow, reducing your risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD). It can also increase your energy level, improve your quality of sleep and help fend off the winter blues!

If you are worried about PAD, we offer screenings for significantly less than other offices. PAD screenings are free for non-Medicare patients and only $25 for Medicare patients (due to Medicare regulations). Contact us at 269-492-6500.