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.
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