Cheryl Greenberg, Ed.D.Dr. Cheryl Greenberg, Ed.D., works as a coach, or guide, for seniors and their families as they consider and plan for changes in their personal and work lives. Contact her at theagecoach@gmail.com or 336-202-5669.
A cup of hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows, soft music in the background, and frost on the windows.
Sounds like a Hallmark winter!
But we need even more for a happy and healthy winter.
As the temperatures fall, it’s important to be intentional about navigating the season. The same activities that make us smile can also protect our bodies and brains.
Eat well
Hot chocolate warms the body. Stews and soups, full of vegetables and healthy broth, provide an easy recipe for strength, nutrition, and warmth.
Stay hydrated
Add herbal teas and some coffee for warmth and to help blood cells carry nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body and brain. Fluids have a positive impact on heart health, cognitive alertness, fighting infection … and so much more.
Be warm
Maintaining body heat becomes more difficult with age. Layer textured or silky t-shirts under a shirt, topped with a light sweater for inside and a jacket for outside. Thin layers close to the body reserve body heat.
Monitor safe travel
Check on the possibility of snow or ice. Plan ahead for someone to clear paths around your house or, better yet, to deliver what you need.
Exercise
Exercise is important for the health of the body and brain, but long walks, tennis, and a pickup ball game may be out of the question. Winter is a good time, though, to go to the gym for classes to strengthen all parts of the body, challenge the brain, and socialize.
Complete a project
Gardening and outside repairs may not be fun in the cold, but you can pick up a project that has been on your mind: organizing photos, thinning out bookshelves, making decisions about household items you haven’t used in years.
Learn
What a fine time to settle in with books you have been meaning to read or to learn to play the guitar that is sitting in the corner. Classes at community centers and online offer seemingly unlimited choices for learning new information and skills.
And most importantly, socialize
Plan times for long coffees with friends, make regular phone calls, go to community events. Being with people you enjoy can lead to healthier bodies and brains.
Winter can be a “Hallmark moment” when we navigate the season with activities that make us smile.
Would you like to talk about new ways that you … or someone you are caring for … can stay active, healthy and “enjoying life’s hot chocolate”? Contact Dr. Cheryl Greenberg at TheAgeCoach@gmail.com.