Beat the Winter Blahs

Woman relaxing on a couch while wearing Copper Fit Gripper Socks

Beat the Winter Blahs: Indoor Activities for Cold Days

Long winter days are on their way; let’s face it, they can be uninspiring and unmotivating. The key is to make a plan! Once you’re done with movie-watching and hot cocoa sipping, we have some ideas to keep you busy. 

Bootcamp - Battle the Blahs and Battle the Bulge

Kick it into high gear with a boot camp. Stay motivated with a specialized, disciplined, and intensive workout program. Bootcamps differ from circuit training, where you are self-led and can work at your own pace. Boot camps are high-intensity and trainer-led - meaning motivation in a group setting with a knowledgeable trainer who can get the best out of you. Another reason they will keep you motivated is that change happens rapidly. Getting fit fast helps you to stay on track and focused. 

Bootcamps move quickly - keeping the heart rate high helps the calorie burn. They are a great combination of cardio, resistance, and body weight exercises - push ups, burpees, crunches, squats, and planks.  According to studies like the one published in the Journal of Obesity, “high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise.” This exercise also helps battle the blahs because physical activity stimulates brain chemicals. That endorphin kick means greater feelings of happiness and relaxation and less anxiety. 

Check out your local gym for boot camp options. Group boot camps that are in-person not only hold you more accountable, but the watchful eye of a trainer makes sure you do the exercises correctly, limiting injury.  For the ultimate support, consider compression sleeves, especially for knee, elbow, and ankle support. Focusing on stability and protecting the knees is essential. Copper Fit’s ICE Compression Knee Sleeve is a lightweight compressive knee brace that provides increased comfort and stability without limiting freedom of movement. It’s infused with micro-encapsulated menthol and CoQ10 to aid with achy muscles. And even better, compression can help with the blood flow during workouts, increasing the effectiveness.

Personal Spa Day +  Hygge

Cold and dark outside? Lean into it - and practice what the Danish do - the art of Hygge (plus some self-care). Relaxing is just as important for your body as good workouts; it’s all about balance! For the Danes, Hygge is all about being comfortable, cozy, and content. The focus is on finding calm and peace in your home. Set up your most Hygge space, create a warm, cozy environment with comfortable throws, and your favorite candles, light a fire, and get into your sweats. 

A component of Hygge is nurturing yourself and taking time to take care of your body. For tense shoulders and upper back (where most of us carry our stress) - try a shoulder wrap to tame tension. Copper Fit’s Rapid Relief Neck & Shoulder Wrap helps ease tense muscles. The extra tall collar for maximum coverage fits comfortably around your neck and shoulders with weighted natural clay beads that capture temperature and provide therapeutic hot/cold acupressure relief when and where you need it. It can be out in the freezer for cooling ice therapy or warmed in the microwave for relaxing heat to battle the aches and pains associated with “tech neck” – the stress, strain, and tension that builds in the neck and shoulders from excessive use of electronic devices such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Wintertime often means more time staring at our screens, so ensure you provide relief and support for your upper back muscles. Schedule Hygge time!

Indoor Gardening 

Are you missing your garden in the colder months? Bring the green inside– plants are proven to boost mood and make you happier. In this study, it was found that the people who spent five to 10 minutes in a room with a few houseplants felt happier than those in a plant-free room. 

So whether you are window sill gardening or looking forward to homegrown winter vegetables, try gardening inside. Here are some simple ideas to get you started:

• Perennial herbs are easy, pretty, and yummy! Try rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley, cilantro, or mint to start - choose two herbs you love to add to your food. Get your pots going with cuttings. Cut a branch of a friend's existing plant at the node, then soak it in water until new roots sprout. Plant and find a sunny window and watch it grow!
• Succulents are a no-fail place to start. Pick a favorite container - just about anything will work with succulents. You can create a simple wall garden since succulents are so easygoing. See some options to build an indoor vertical plant wall here. 

Don’t let tingling, numbness, weakness, burning, and pain in your hands from conditions such as carpal tunnel hold you back from indoor crafts, gardening, and more this winter. Compression gloves may support circulation by lightly squeezing the veins in your hands, supporting healthy circulation and preventing inflammation. 

Fingerless compression gloves are designed to support muscles and joints to help relieve stiffness and soreness in the wrist, palms, and fingers. The open fingers allow greater functionality for typing, gripping, and feeling - and gardening! 

Try Copper Fit’s Hand Relief Compression Gloves. They help provide support, relief, and recovery from sore muscles and painful joint stiffness in your wrists, palms, and fingers and stabilize the wrist, which may ease carpal tunnel pain. 

Tackle That To-Do List, But Make It Fun

We all have those projects we can’t quite get to. This winter, plan on tackling some! Whether it’s creating a scrapbook from last year's vacation or organizing the kid's school art projects. Here are ideas from the experts on how you get motivated to do what you aren’t too inspired to do:

• Write down precisely what you want to get done in a very detailed step-by-step fashion (so you can cross things off as you go). For example, “Step 1: collect all pictures in one place on the kitchen table, Step 2:. Sort by decade. Step 3: Order pictures by time.” Breaking jobs into small chunks makes them seem doable, and it’s satisfying to cross off the list as you go.

• Use the Pomodoro Technique. Break your work into 25-minute chunks. Set the timer, put away the phone, and work hard without distractions! When the alarm goes off, take a 5-minute break. Repeat a few times. It’s a great way to jump-start yourself into a project and gain momentum. Then, it’s easy to keep going. 

• Create a great vibe, put on your favorite music, and pour a mug or glass of your favorite drink. Put out a little plate of snacks, too, as you go. Get into your cozy sweats. Have a favorite movie playing in the background. Then, reward yourself when you finish the project and celebrate! 

What NOT to do: Get lost in social media. While it’s a great place to connect and catch up on friends' lives, studies show that too much of it increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. And, of course, it will get you off track and distracted from your tasks.

Perk Up Your Indoor Space

Put a comfy chair by a window with a table, a throw, and a stack of books you’ve meant to read. You might just end up settling into that spot often! Set a small card table in a corner and prepare a deck of cards or a puzzle. Chances are your kids will gravitate that way. Change the family room around for no reason at all– changing furniture provides a good dopamine hit!

Copper Fit Tip: Always protect your back when moving furniture. Try Copper Fit’s Advanced Back Pro. Back pain has been found to affect 8 out of 10 people; don’t let yourself be one of them. Advanced Back Pro allows for a full range of motion while supporting your lower back. The four built-in stabilizing supports are designed to help reduce lower back stress and strain and improve posture with a secure, double-belt closure for customizable compression. 

Don’t give in to the winter blahs this year. Try these tactics to keep busy; they will help keep the blues away!