WINTER IS COMING!

CLICK HERE FOR WINTER TIPS AND SEE THE LIGHT!

https://youtu.be/NRqiX1o0v0k

Hey guys, Coach Tish here-

You may or may not like it but, WINTER IS COMING!

Lots of fun things come with the onset of winter, but one thing I feel we need to prepare for which often gets overlooked is: the darkness. It’s real and it affects people in serious ways

And here we are- Early November marks that time of year again- Daylight Savings…

What time is it?

Where am I?

Why am I hungry right now?

We’ve accepted it as just a part of life but it’s not very natural. The good news is we are pretty adaptable and there’s simple things we can do to optimize this transition.

You may have heard of this thing we have called circadian rhythm- our 24-hour cycle that regulates many things- our activities, wakefulness, sleeping, eating.

To keep this rhythm in…well rhythm is to counter the darkness with light!

I know it’s cold, but get outside as soon as possible in the morning to view morning sunlight. Even better, bundle up and get some movement in while you’re at it and go for a walk, 10-20 minutes. Not only does this have an extremely positive affect on mood, vitamin D and hormone levels, it helps reset your internal clock by sending a signal to your brain that this is a new morning. 

The real thing is always best (if this isn’t the truth for everything, idk what it is) but if you get up before the sun you can use artificial light. Just turn on bright lights in your house or wherever you are or use a lamp that’s at least (ideally 10,000 lux or brighter)- these are usually therapy lamps which have some cost to them but are worth it.

Next food. Yes it’s fuel, but did you know that it’s also a cue to your body? We have hormones like ghrelin, leptin, and insulin which your digestive system releases every time you eat and this in turn helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Your internal clock can get very confused if your eating schedule is all over the place. Try to keep your eating schedule as consistent or normal as possible - and it may take a bit to adjust as you may not feel hungry at the usual time but this consistency can make adjusting to the time change much smoother.

And lastly, give yourself some grace. You may feel “off” especially the first week of the 

Time-change, and there may be periods (sometimes long periods) during the winter where you feel really down. 

Do your best to let your body adjust gradually while implementing things to make the transition smoother: Morning sunlight/getting outside, eating on a consistent schedule, having grace. 

And don’t forget your Enzo gym community and coaches- we’re here for you!

May your 1st thought in the morning always be: THANK YOU!