The clocks have fallen back, and the long winter nights and colds is back with us. For many dads, this creates a temptation to become entrenched indoors, and escape the chill.  With this, inactivity becomes a habit, and staying indoors for extended periods of time increases the chances of falling sick, from breathing in recycled air in small, overheated and poorly ventilated spaces which enable germs to pass easily from one person to another (especially from child to child).

In fact, it has been proven that 15-20 minutes of winter sunshine maintains and increases your Vitamin D levels, which helps keep your bones strong and has major health benefits such as regulating your immune system.

So let’s take a look at why it is so important for you and your family to have an active outdoor winter lifestyle

Quick ways to look after your winter health 

A brisk walk outside can give you a quick boost and avoid the kind of depressive disorder known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, also sometimes known as the ‘winter blues” ,which can be caused by lack of light, and it can last throughout the fall and the whole winter.  It can cause lack of motivation, low energy and sleep problems among other undesirable disorders, so make sure that you include your whole family in outdoor activities to keep your kids happy and healthy all winter long.

This can even affect your dogs , so don’t forget to keep their vitamin levels up by making sure that your furry friend gets plenty of fresh air and eats an extra-healthy diet of delicious snacks from Healthy-Chews.com.

So if you are an indoor-oriented person, or just dislike the cold, you will probably need to take extra steps to make sure that your forays outside are comfortable and safe. Your feet and legs are particularly susceptible to the cold, so to make your runs, walks or hikes more pleasant you might want to wear compression socks for men . These special socks apply compression which increases the blood circulation to your legs and feet which in turn generates heat to toes extremities, for a warm and cost feeling.

Give them a try, they really work – after all, who wants to get cold toes if you can avoid it?

How to be a safer winter athlete

If you are a keen exerciser, getting your outdoor workout presents a whole range of challenges during the fall and winter months. If you are a runner, you will have to contend with slippery pavements and so make sure that you wear appropriate running shoes with tread that can provide you with support and traction when snow and ice is on the ground.

Similarly, if you are a keen cyclist, dark roads are a real and present danger, so always wear reflective clothing, helmets, gloves and fit your bikes with proper safety lights and a bike bell. You can find fun, functional and quality cycling equipment online from sites like https://bovemlife.com/ .

Avoid the winter dad bod

Remember that outdoor exercise is particularly important in the winter months because of all the holidays that may cause you to eat more, and even turn to unhealthy comfort foods. The average person in the USA puts on up to 4kg of added weight during this period – so you’ll need to increase your activity levels, and you have the added benefit that you burn more calories when you exercise in the cold!

So now is the time to take action to avoid a shock in the spring when you finally shed the layers of warm winter clothing and see the dad bod that has snuck up on you during the long. cold winter. Follow these tips and keep winter add bod at bay!

Take a moment to share your best winter health tips for dads below in the comments.