Winter wellbeing ...your steps to sucess succe
In the second part of our exclusive new plan, Dr Rangan Chatterjee explains the importance of sleep and exercise, and the small changes that can make a big difference to your health this season
Welcome to day two of the Winter Wellness plan, my exclusive guide to rebooting your health and wellbeing this season.
This year, more than ever, staying fit and well is crucial to ward off coughs, colds, flu and, of course, Covid-19.
But while the odds may be stacked against us on these cold, dark days, I believe you can tune into the season and embrace what it has to offer for the better.
Yesterday I explained how our wellbeing can be broken down into the Four Pillars – eat, sleep, relax and move – and how the secret to peak health is to keep them all strong. The Pillars are very much intertwined, supporting one another, and all integral to good immune function.
In part one I discussed how good food and taking the time to de-stress provides a real boost. Today, we’ll tackle the importance of sleep and exercise for a healthy lifestyle, seeing how just a few simple changes can make a real difference to how we feel.
These steps are designed to help you in winter and beyond. The time to implement them is now.
So what are you waiting for?
SLEEP Turn in early
Sleep has magic restorative benefits. After a poor night, we lack patience and are more emotionally reactive. Not only that, but when we sleep for five hours compared to seven, we eat 22 per cent more calories the next day. So if my patients need to lose weight, I advise them to improve their sleep as a way to naturally shift the pounds.
In the long term, sleep deprivation is associated with every single chronic disease, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
It’s also extremely detrimental for your immune system.
Studies show that only getting five hours’ sleep compared to eight reduces the level of killer T cells in your body – your armoury to detect and destroy bugs – by up to 50 per cent.
Arguably the best way to support your immune function is to simply get a good night’s rest.
So as the nights draw in, see it as a signal to turn in earlier and give your body the rest it deserves. Even 20 more minutes helps.
Get outside
For most people, improving sleep quality is not as hard as you think. Often, it’s our daily lifestyle that is affecting it – and there’s lots we can do to change that. God sleep starts when you wake. You need to get 10-20 minutes of natural light exposure every morning, especially at this time of year. It helps to set your circadian rhythm – your internal body clock. Have a cup of tea with your coat on in the garden or take a 10-minute walk after dropping your kids off at school. And if you enjoy drinking caffeinated drinks, finish them before noon, as they can keep you up at night.
Say no to screens
Banish that phone from the bedroom.
The light from these devices shifts back the release of melatonin, the hormone that kicks in when it is dark to tell your body to rest.
Looking at your phone right before bed affects when this crucial chemical is released – and therefore when you become sleepy.
But I get it – it’s very hard to resist scrolling as you wind down. Ideally, we’d put devices away 90 minutes before lights off, but you could start with just 10 minutes, then half an hour.
You’ll experience deeper sleep and wake feeling more refreshed, and better able to cope with what the day throws at you, from stress at work to winter bugs doing the rounds.
Booze or lose
Enjoying alcohol has to be seen in the context of the rest of your life.
Some people have a greater tolerance than others and I’m not here to tell you to quit drinking.
But even a little bit of alcohol can have a negative effect at night, reducing a type of sleep called REM. And sleep is vital for a robust immune system. With the party season upon us, winter is the time we tend to drink the most.
Pay attention also to how you feel the day after you drink – does it affect what you eat, your relationships and your mood for the worse?
If you want to drink, follow the NHS guidelines and aim for four to five days a week without any alcohol.
Have your glass of wine earlier in the evening too, away from bedtime. On other days, look for other more nourishing ways to de-stress.
MOVE Simply does it
It goes without saying that working out is good for your physical health. But at this time of year it’s one the best things you can do for your mood too.
Your workout needn’t be extreme. A 20-30 minute walk every day is sufficient for most of us to get the benefits of moving our limbs.
Exercise doesn’t need to complicate your life, either. Switch one journey from car to foot, get off the bus early or use the stairs whenever you can.
Your stress, sleep, digestion and mental state will all thank you.
You can use exercise as a way to wind down too, a form of active relaxation. Pilates and yoga are perfect for dark winter evenings.
Do 10 minutes of stretches while you watch some telly, and some more while you brush your teeth.
Try to exercise anywhere and everywhere. It’s easy to get bogged down in kit, fancy gyms and complicated class timetables. But when it comes to fitness, the secret is to fit it around you, your life and your time.
And the wonderful thing about exercise is that it can be done anywhere, anytime, even if there’s frost on the ground. Even a minute is good for you, boosting strength, heart health, brain health and more.
The Five-Minute Workout
This is a great indoor winter workout to build strength. To start, aim to do it twice a week.
5-10 squats: Aim to go down as far as you can while keeping your back upright and feet flat on the ground. Hold on to the worktop if necessary.
5-10 calf raises: While standing straight, move on to your tiptoes as high as you can. Hold on to a door or worktop if you need support.
5-10 press-ups: Place hands shoulder width apart and lower the chest down between them before pushing back up again. Start against a wall. As you get stronger try the worktop, then the floor.
5-10 tricep dips: Place hands on a worktop, chair or the floor. Lower yourself while bending your elbows behind you.
5-10 lunges: Put one leg forward and bend at the knee. Keep your torso upright and hold on for support as required. Make sure you work both of your legs.
Social sport
Connecting in person is the best social interaction for our wellbeing.
I understand that we may be cautious or anxious about the risks of mixing this winter. But isolation and the feeling of being lonely are incredibly toxic for your health and wellbeing.
Research suggests it may be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes per day and that people who feel lonely are 50 per cent more likely to die prematurely. Our social world needs to be given the same priority as food and exercise, but all too often it isn’t.
We know the safest place to be is outside. So why not exercise in the open air with a friend?
Exercising in the cold has huge benefits for your immune system, and can be great fun too.
Join your local Parkrun, take a walk in the park, or even find a football team that trains outdoors.
Working out with a friend is sure to make you laugh, and it also holds you accountable because you won’t want to let them down. That means you’re less likely to skip a session.
■■Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s five-minute wellness podcast, Built To Thrive, is exclusively available on Amazon Music. The 4 Pillar Plan by Dr Rangan Chatterjee (£16.99, Penguin Life) is out now