To help you stay healthy and active this winter, VU Polytechnic Diploma of Health Coaching 10237NAT students share their favourite tips.
Move your body
Jess
"My walking group start a ‘Winter Million Step challenge’ on the 1st of June every year. By walking 10,870 steps per day you will get to a million by the end of winter. This will keep you active and you're rewarded with better health for your efforts.
Walking this amount of steps a day can help you to:
- feel more energetic and awake over time
- achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- sleep better
- reduce your stress levels
- keep you from being a ‘couch potato’ or ‘desk potato’.
While tracking your daily steps is important, how you do on any particular day is much less important than how you do over a week or month! Some days you'll get more steps and some days less. By keeping your eye on the big picture you'll keep motivated to walk more overall.
"If you don’t feel like going outside you can use a treadmill or try some home walking YouTube videos. It’s more fun with your family and friends so challenge yourself to a little bit of additional effort in your day!"
Kath
"In winter there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. To exercise in winter, rug up, pop on a beanie and walk in the sunshine on a winter's day. It’s good for mental health and our furry friends too."
Be mindful
Sharon
"Being mindful is about paying attention to the present moment - all you can hear, see feel, taste and smell. Winter gives us lots of opportunities to be mindful.
"In winter, I pause while I drink my morning coffee to take in the warmth of the mug, the smell and taste of the coffee, to appreciate the little hit of happiness it brings. When I go outside in the winter air I notice the feeling of the cold hitting my skin, listen the birds, and even the traffic! I notice the smell of open fires and the feel of being bundled up in a bulky, warm puffer jacket! What opportunities can you find to be mindful?"
Eat healthy
Kath
"For healthy work lunches during winter I love making a big batch of chicken and vegetable soup or, my new favourite, broccoli and kale soup. It sounds terrible but is absolutely delicious!"
Shivaun
"To boost my vegetable intake in winter, I make big pots of vegetable soups with grated zucchini, and tinned cannelloni beans or lentils. I'll also add extra frozen vegetables when I reheat them."
An easy shortcut is buying some good quality pre-made soups from the supermarket and adding extra vegetables and legumes to them.
Get some sunshine
Isabelle
"With the onset of winter it is important to ensure that you are still getting enough vitamin D as it is essential for long term health and bones. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, but it can be hard to get enough in winter. Try to take a short walk mid morning when the UV Index is greatest and eat plenty of vitamin D rich foods like oily fish and dairy."
Boost your immunity
Sharon
"Zinc and Vitamin C are essential to keep our immune systems strong. Kiwi fruit and strawberries are great fruit sources of vitamin C, and capsicum, broccoli and brussel sprouts are great vegetable sources. Oysters are the highest source of Zinc; however, for most omnivores, beef, pork and chicken are the best dietary sources. For plant based diets, baked beans, chickpeas and cashews are sources of zinc."
If you find your immune system isn’t coping well, and you seem to have one cold after another, a supplement with zinc can be helpful, just be sure to stick to the recommended dose - more is not better!
Self-care
Jacquie
"Self care bingo charts are a fun and easy way to remind you to make self-care a priority and to look after your mental health during winter. I share mine with a friend to stay motivated and accountable."
Stay hydrated
Sharon
"Tea is one of my favourite ways to stay hydrated in winter. Green and black tea have antioxidants however they also contain caffeine, so I mix it up with some delicious herbal teas. Peppermint, lemon and ginger and liquorice tea are all on high rotation. Hot water with ginger and lemon and even soups all count towards your fluid intake too!"
The Diploma of Health Coaching 10237NAT is no longer offered at VU Polytechnic. View our list of health courses.