fbpx

Health issues of staying indoors all winter

Did you know that spending too much time indoors can actually have an adverse effect on your health? Hard to believe?

Here are 9 reasons why staying inside all winter can actually make you sick:

1. Your gut health

Going outdoors increases your gut microbiome’s diversity by exposing you to a wider variety of good bacteria strains. In turn, a more diverse microbiome tends to be healthier and more balanced.

2. You don’t sleep as soundly

It may look and feel cold and grey outside. But there’s still light outside — and that light helps you sleep at night. This means that if you’re staying cooped up and only absorbing artificial light — fluorescent bulbs, etc — your sleep cycle will likely suffer.

3. Your appetite/eating habits may change

Staying indoors for prolonged periods may change your appetite, and if you’re cooped up in your house you’ll likely make more frequent trips to clean out your kitchen.

4. Your skin needs it

A more pale complexion (as opposed to usual) from staying inside all winter is a sign you aren’t getting enough vitamin D which helps build your skin’s immune system by helping skin cells grow and repair themselves.

5. Your joints might get achy

Researchers have found a link between deficient vitamin D levels and chronic, general pain. Joint pain may be impacted even more by staying indoors because you aren’t moving around enough.

6. You could be more likely to catch a cold

Being in a stuffy home or building can cause more colds. This sounds like a good excuse to bundle up in a thick coat and take a thermos of soup outside to keep your chances of catching a cold down!

7. You may feel stressed for no reason

You’d think staying inside and away from people would make you more relaxed. But, quite the opposite — your stress levels can actually spike causing you to develop a shorter fuse and become more upset easily than usual as well as become upset by seemingly minor things.

8. You may become restless for no reason

Not getting out enough causes you to lack the motivation to exercise, clean house, etc. But these behaviours can make you more agitated in your own space and drive you to feel unsettled.

9. Your muscles feel tired easily

Indoors, you are more likely to sit in one place. Being stuck in this sedentary state keeps you from properly moving your muscles. Too much sitting or lounging then makes your muscles tighter and more prone to becoming uncomfortable and achy.

Share this post with your friends and family.

More Articles

We’ve teamed up with the experts at Sleep Science to bring you the latest, evidence-based advice on how to improve your sleep …

Staying hydrated and enjoying delicious drinks doesn’t have to derail your wellness goals. We’ve rounded up some fantastic low-calorie options that are …

Mushrooms, often mistakenly categorised as vegetables, are actually fungi. With over 70,000 species, only a fraction are edible, but those that are …

Historically, fasting has been a natural part of the human experience. With the constant availability of food today, intermittent fasting has gained …

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    • Join our Newsletter

      Sign up to BODYTEC’s monthly newsletter for the latest in Fitness, Food and Lifestyle News.

    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    Get Early Access + Unlock your R50 Trial session.

    Valid this November only.