How to Improve Your Health and Mood Without Stepping Outside This Winter
Stay indoors and feel great with activities like knitting, tea sipping, and plant care
Too cold and snowy to step outside? Stay in! Research shows you can improve your health and happiness right from the comfort of home.
Strengthen bones by dancing or eat black currants
Turn on your favorite groovy tunes and boogie down. A new review of 28 studies from Australia shows that women who do moderate- to high-impact exercise, like dancing at least 15 minutes three days a week, have greater bone-mineral density, reducing their risk of fracture. As long as you’re up on your feet, most dance steps involve weight-bearing movements that stimulate bone growth and strength.
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A new study from the University of Connecticut shows that postmenopausal women who consume black currants daily have a stronger skeleton. This tart berry balances bacteria in the gut that play a key role in bone health. You can find black currants as a juice, dried fruit or a supplement.
Video games zap stress!
Love to match tiles in Bejeweled or solve puzzles in Word Wipe? Research out of New Zealand shows that within 30 minutes of playing video games, your stress plunges. The fun graphics, sounds and strategies absorb your attention, distracting you from worries.
Increase joy with potted basil or window-shop online
Adding winter-friendly decorative plants (such as pothos and philodendron) and edible herbs (such as basil and thyme) to your home makes it feel extra-cozy. Even better: Taking care of live plants boosts positivity. University of Florida researchers found that tending to greenery by watering, feeding and pruning connects you with nature and gives you a sense of purpose, raising your spirits. Bonus: Houseplants up your energy too by filtering out drowsiness-triggering carbon dioxide.
Browsing online stores and adding products to your wish list sends your mood soaring, shows a study from the University of Michigan. Simply picking out items you like gives you a sense of control that makes you feel empowered—
no spending needed!
Bolster your heart by sleeping in or sip tea
If you find it tough to climb out of a toasty bed on chilly mornings, then stay put. New research involving nearly 91,000 adults in the U.K. Biobank Project reveals that occasionally sleeping late (such as on weekends) lowers your risk of heart trouble by 20%. Why? The extra Zzzs make up for shorter sleep on other nights, lowering blood pressure, balancing blood sugar and reducing inflammation—all key for keeping your ticker in tip-top shape.
A study from the Republic of Mauritius shows that drinking three cups of black tea a day significantly reduces elevated triglycerides and “bad” LDL cholesterol within 12 weeks. Theaflavins and flavanols—antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in tea—help break down fats so arteries stay clear.
Sharpen memory with slow moves or knit
To recall events, dates and other details more clearly, try tai chi. This series of slow movements is easy to do and doesn’t require any special tools. That’s great news since a recent review of 11 studies from scientists at the University of Houston-Downtown shows that as little as 5 minutes of tai chi a day boosts the production of the memory-enhancing protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Follow free instructions by searching for “beginner tai chi” at YouTube.com.
Regularly enjoying your favorite hobbies like knitting, baking or crafting improves your memory, shows a new study from Mexico. The process of following steps and making decisions is like rigorous exercise for your brain, enabling it to work more efficiently.
Dodge a cold with a hot bath or savor soup
If you want to sidestep the sniffles, grab your bottle of bath bubbles and rubber ducky! Austrian research shows that relaxing in a hot tub at least once a week reduces your chances of catching a cold by 50% within three months. Submerging your body in warm water stimulates your immune system, increasing the output of virus-fighting compounds needed to stay healthy.
A University of Nebraska study found chicken soup (homemade or canned) fends off respiratory viruses. Chicken, vegetables and broth block inflammation, preventing cold symptoms.
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