Whether you are someone who looks forward to sparkling snow and warm beverages or the one who dreads bitterly cold temperatures and lack of sunshine, everyone in temperate climates needs to know how to stay healthy during the winter season. Frigid weather and high precipitation can make outdoor conditions unpleasant or even dangerous and potentially cause damage to your body and your home. Not to mention, these harsh conditions coupled with the stress of travel or family outings can increase mental health struggles as well. 

For these reasons and more, it is essential to keep health tips for winter in mind as the colder months approach. Many winter health tips are extremely simple, centering around overall lifestyle changes that can also benefit you throughout the rest of the year. In the winter season, food and clothes provide you with the energy and protection that you need to stay healthy, just as they do in any other season. The main difference is that you may need to adjust your diet, your wardrobe, and your skincare routine to fit the unique factors of wintry environments, such as dry air, harsh weather, and different food sources. In this article, we will outline some of the most important winter tips to help you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy this year.

1. Winter Safety Tips

The harsh conditions of the colder months of the year affect various aspects of our lives, from home to work to outdoor activities. In this section, we will explore safety tips for the winter season as they pertain to each of these respective areas.

If you have to make a daily commute to work, then you know the struggle that often comes with braving the weather, especially early in the morning. Winter safety tips for employees driving into work include dressing warm in the case of a vehicle emergency that leaves you stranded in the cold, investing in some quality tires, and thoroughly removing all the snow or ice from your car before heading out to ensure maximum visibility for yourself and other drivers. A remote start can improve your morale in the morning by warming up the interior of your car and melting some of the ice from your windshield, but you should only use one if your car is outside in order to avoid trapping harmful gasses in your garage.

Frigid weather conditions can also have damaging effects on your home. Winter safety tips for home care include having your furnace inspected to make sure it will not break down when it is most needed, checking that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly, and keeping an eye on water pipes to prevent freezing. You may also want to clean out your gutters in the months leading up to winter, as a buildup of leaves inhibits gutters’ ability to stop the buildup of ice, which may cause exterior damage. 

Although you might be spending most of your time inside during the chilly months, you may venture out for any number of activities, oftentimes recreational. Whether it is skiing and snowboarding, taking the kids out sledding, or simply going on a walk throughout the neighborhood, it is important to follow outdoor winter safety tips at all times. The first rule is once again to dress appropriately for the conditions. Harsh winds may require a scarf and gloves to protect the face and hands from cold air. Layers are your best friend, so be sure to wear some lighter pieces of clothing underneath your heavy jacket. Sand and kitty litter can be spread on icy walkways to help prevent slipping (1). These tips also apply to those who work outdoors during the colder months, making them essential winter workplace safety tips as well.

2. Nutrition Tips For Winter

Winter is typically thought of as the season for comfort foods. With many holidays and celebrations going on, you may find yourself indulging in unhealthy foods more often than usual. However, maintaining a healthy diet during the cold months of the year is just as important as any other season, if not more. After all, we may notice a lack of energy in the winter or an increased risk of illnesses like influenza. Making sure your body has a healthy supply of nutrients all season long can help keep your immunity strong and your motivation churning.

One of the most important nutrition tips for winter is to drink plenty of water. Although you may not realize it, dehydration can occur outdoors while shoveling snow just as easily as it can under the summer sun, so make sure to drink up before, during, and after outdoor activities. Even when not exercising, you should aim to consume a healthy amount of water every day, especially if you partake in any booze-related holiday festivities, as alcohol can greatly increase dehydration. Not to mention, as we will touch on in the next section, your skin may be parched during the winter months and providing your body with plenty of water is an excellent way to give some natural moisture back to your skin.

On top of drinking water, you need to maintain a balanced diet in winter as well. Contrary to popular belief, there are many delicious fruits and vegetables that are in season and ready to be enjoyed to the fullest during the cold months of the year. These are some of the healthiest winter foods you can incorporate into your diet. Examples of these seasonal fruits and vegetables include grapefruit, kiwis, mandarins, oranges, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower (2). Winter vegetables are particularly tasty when added to soups and casseroles, both of which can add a little extra warmth to a chilly evening as well.

3. Winter Skincare Tips

Maintaining healthy skin is one of the most difficult aspects of physical wellness in wintertime. The dry, frigid air can easily dehydrate and irritate your skin, even for those who are not already predisposed to dry skin. Not to mention, indoor heating systems often suck even more moisture from this essential organ, leaving skin feeling flaky and brittle most days in the winter. However, there are a multitude of winter skincare tips that can help combat this dryness, both via the use of products and the development of general healthy habits.

Among the top tips for winter skin health is the use of moisturizers. If you do not already have a moisturizer incorporated into your normal skincare routine, you may want to seek out one that fits your skin type. Oily or acne-prone skin may want an oil-free moisturizer while extremely dry skin often needs a thicker cream to really pack in the hydration. Adding a hydrating or moisturizing cleanser can also provide your skin with an extra boost of moisture throughout the harsh winter months.

Some winter tips for skin can even help prevent dryness from occurring in the first place. It may be difficult to fight the urge to take long, hot showers when the weather outside is frightful, but you should aim to limit the amount of time you spend in hot water, as it can dry out your skin as well. In addition, it may be best to utilize lukewarm water in place of hot water when either showering or bathing. The Mayo Clinic recommends also purchasing a humidifier to pump extra moisture into the air around you, preventing the heating system’s hot, dry air from sapping your skin’s hydration (3).

Keep in mind that those who have pre-existing skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea may experience an increase in symptoms during the colder months of the year. This is likely due to the decrease in an essential protein known as filaggrin, which naturally provides moisture (4). Following these tips for healthy winter skin may help lessen symptoms for those suffering from these conditions as well as anyone who frequently experiences dry skin.

4. Winter Health

Even with a multitude of tricks up your sleeve, winter health can be a challenge. With family gatherings, travel stress, and dampened motivation, many people are left wondering how to take care of your health during winter amidst all your other worries. To wrap things up, we have compiled a small list of guidelines to help you keep your own wellness and your family’s wellness on track throughout the winter months:

• Be active indoors and outdoors. There are countless benefits of exercising in winter. Not only is it a great way to maintain your physical health, but frequent exercise may also combat symptoms of seasonal depression, especially if you head outdoors for a little extra sun exposure as well (5).
• Wash your hands frequently. This helps reduce the spread of illnesses and protects yourself and your loved ones from viruses. You should also aim to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without washing first, as germs can easily enter your body through these passageways (6).
• Get enough sleep. Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep each night in order to avoid putting themselves at increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and stroke (7). Sleep is also crucial to maintaining the health of your immune system, which needs to be firing on all cylinders during the winter season in particular.
• Consider trying a multivitamin. Supplements like Better Family’s Liquid Daily multivitamin can provide your body with a boost of nutrition to fill in the gaps that form in your diet. In winter, having a ready supply of nutrients like vitamin D and vitamin B12 can help improve your mood as well as the performance of your immune system and other vital bodily functions.

Resources

1. “Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter.” CDC, 13 December 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/winterweather/index.html.
2. “7 Tips for Staying Healthy Over Winter.” Heart Foundation, 2022, https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/blog/7-tips-for-staying-healthy-over-winter.
3. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Humidifier Care 101.” Mayo Clinic, 11 June 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/in-depth/health-tip/art-20048617.
4. Chwalek, Kim. “10 Dermatologist-Approved Winter Skincare Tips from Dr. Husienzad.” Bryn Mawr Dermatology, 2 December 2021, https://www.brynmawrdermatology.com/blog/10-dermatologist-approved-winter-skincare-tips-from-dr-husienzad.
5. Timothy, Eva. “Does Physical Activity Improve Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?” Utah State University, 2022, https://extension.usu.edu/healthwellness/physical/does-physical-activity-improve-systoms-of-seasonal-affective-disorder.
6. “Cold-Weather Wellness: Tips for Staying Healthy This Season.” National Library of Medicine, 22 October 2020, "https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/cold-weather-wellness-tips-for-staying-healthy-this-season">https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/cold-weather-wellness-tips-for-staying-healthy-this-season.
7. Olson, Eric J. “How Many Hours of Sleep Are Enough for Good Health?” Mayo Clinic, 15 May 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/faq-20057898.