5 ways to stay healthy in winter

Winter can be a challenging time to stay healthy and feel at your best. So how can we protect our mental and physical health at this time of year? We’ve selected our readers’ top winter health tipS.

1. Cheap ways to stay warm

Cold temperatures can put a strain on your heart, so it’s important to try to stay warm this winter. With energy now more expensive than ever, our readers shared their cost-effective tips for how to keep warm in winter.

Irene Horsburgh said: “Layer your clothes, even inside. Get a good warm pair of slippers and wear socks with them. Get an electric blanket or hot water bottle to heat your bed before you get in. Make sure you change your duvet and blankets to winter ones and that your pyjamas are warm.”

Layer your clothes, even inside

Angela Mackoon said: “I heat one room and spend most of my time there. Hot drinks and meals also help.”

Other readers suggested: “Change the curtains from light summer ones to heavier materials,” “put a draught excluder in front of the front door”, and “pull the curtains before it gets dark”.

Heart Matters readers also make sure to prepare for cold, snowy and icy spells when they might not be able to get outside. Sue Griffiths said: “I make sure we have plenty of food supplies and essentials such as toilet rolls.” Others said: “I cook in bulk, putting meals in the freezer”, “remain in contact with friends and neighbours who could be called on in an emergency”, and “find someone who will order food online for you if you don’t know how”

Support with the cost of living

• Find out what financial support you could get from Help with Households.
• Find out if you could get free NHS prescriptions in England. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Make sure that you are claiming any benefits you‘re entitled to. Check out the Turn2us benefits calculator. You can also contact Citizens Advice for help.
• If you’re over 50, Age UK advice line offers help with claiming benefits.
• 2. How to make healthy winter meals
• Research shows that fruit and vegetables are full of nutrients. Eating a healthy balanced diet that includes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day can help your immune system to work well. Many of you said that your favourite healthy winter meals are homemade soups, stews, curries and casseroles packed with lots of vegetables. Stewed or baked fruit for dessert, or warming porridge with fruit for breakfast, are other ways you get your 5-a-day in winter.Remember that frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables (if there’s no added salt or sugar) are just as healthy as fresh, and can be more affordable if they’re out of season in winter. One reader said: “I have packets of boiled beetroot, frozen cherries, and tins of pears all year.”
• Another reader, Katherine Goatley, said: “Eating healthy meals is essential to prevent me snacking on rubbish when I feel chilly. I make lots of vegetable stews from scratch with herbs and spices to add flavour. Homemade soup is satisfying when the cold and grey is draining my energy.“I try to prepare something early in the day so I don’t feel overwhelmed at the end of a busy day and reach for something processed. I also try to plan my shopping so that there is a focus on having a plentiful supply of healthy food – with the odd treat to keep cravings at bay!”Judi Vilkauskas said: “I know I crave chocolate and biscuits more during winter, so I bake healthier recipes from the BHF and Diabetes UK – so I’m getting cake but without as much sugar and fat as the cakes I’d otherwise buy.”
• Another reader who cooks using Heart Matters recipes said: “Being on my own, I’ll cook a healthy dinner for two nights, as the recipes are often for two people, or put an extra portion in the freezer.” They also said: “Getting enough water is important, whatever time of the year. I have a tumbler downstairs and upstairs and just drink as I go past, refilling it when it’s empty.”
  • Discover healthy winter recipes
  • Get tips for eating well on a tight budget
  • Read why frozen fruit and vegetables are just as good for you as fresh.

  • 3. How to exercise in winter

  • Keeping moving doesn’t just benefit your long-term heart health – studies have shown moderate-intensity exercise can help strengthen your immune system. The cold, rain and shorter days can make it feel harder, but Heart Matters readers have tips to motivate you to get off the couch.Many of you told us how you’ve invested in waterproofs and warm boots and clothing so you can keep walking outdoors. Making arrangements to go with someone else makes you more likely to enjoy it and go regularly. Katherine Goatley said: “I walk with a friend so we can walk and talk. Going for walks in the park with my grandchildren, catching the falling leaves, also keeps me active and gives lots of joy.”“I’ve signed up for a yearly subscription to my local leisure centre so I can swim or go to the gym if the weather is really bad,” said George Sneddon.
  • Getting an off-peak or concessionary membership can be a way to save money at your local leisure centre or gym
  • There are ways to exercise at home for free too. From hula hooping to dancing to your favourite music, readers have found ways to get active indoors. Many of you enjoy following exercises online. Laraine Clarke said: “I started off finding seated exercise for seniors on YouTube and quickly increased my fitness. I’ve been able to reduce my blood pressure meds and also slowly lost 1½ stones. I recommend Fabulous Fifties, Thick Chick Fitness and Body Project, all on YouTube.” If you have a health condition, check with your doctor before you take up any new exercise programme.And it doesn’t have to be formal exercise for you to get active. Any movement is better than staying still for long stretches of time. One reader suggested that winter is good time to do a bit of ‘spring’ cleaning at home, while another said, “I try to ‘potter’ every day – even just getting up and down to wander round the house.

  • 4. How to boost your winter mental health

  • Physical and mental health are linked, and this can be a tough season for many of us. Some people say it helps them to take note of things they feel grateful for. Try to notice any good things in your life when you’re feeling down, however small. It could be the sunshine in the morning, the colours of the falling leaves, a warm cup of tea, or a great book you’re enjoying.You could write your thoughts down each day in a journal so that you can look back on it when you’re feeling low. You could also share with a family member or friend at the end of the day to end it on a positive note.
  • It can also help to build socialising into your day, even in small ways. One reader told us: “We can all get down in winter. I try to get out of the house every day, even just for a short walk. Saying hello to people and starting a conversation helps.”Similarly, Katherine Goatley said: “Talking and socialising helps me. Sharing troubles can help me keep things in perspective; listening to and supporting friends can help me get outside myself.”Judi Vilkauskas suggested: “If you feel lonely, you could try to make friends with a neighbour or volunteer for a charity. If you struggle with your mental health, find someone to talk to: your doctor, a nurse, a helpline, a friend or family member.”
  • Some of you told us how signing up to walking groups, or courses such as a foreign language, were good ways to meet new people while keeping busy. The Ramblers has walking groups all around the UK. Your local college or, if you’re retired, organisations such as the u3A, are great places to learn something new. Other readers kept their minds stimulated with painting, reading, playing cards, doing crosswords and puzzles, or looking after indoor plants.If you think you might be experiencing some form of winter blues or seasonal depression, you should try and get as much natural light as possible, especially at midday and on brighter, sunnier days. Since sunlight is thought to boost your levels of serotonin (a chemical linked with more positive moods), many readers shared ways they motivate themselves to get outside.
  • If the grey of winter gets to me, I look for the beautiful things around me
  • One reader said they enjoy feeding birds and making an effort to notice nature: “If the grey of winter starts to get to me, I consciously look for the beautiful things around me: a glimpse of a dramatic sky through the branches of trees, a little robin hopping around my patio – lovely things are there if I choose to see them.”If you are still struggling, many people find light therapy effective. You can do this at home when the days get shorter by sitting in front of a light box for up to two hours a day. Whilst these boxes aren’t available on the NHS and cost around £100, they give out very bright light, at least 10 times stronger than ordinary home and office lighting.

  • 5. How to avoid getting sick

  • Getting outside is also a good way to boost our levels of vitamin D, as it’s made through our skin when we are outdoors in daylight. But sunlight levels in the UK are generally too low from October to March, so taking a daily supplement of 10mcg of vitamin D in these months can be helpful. Many of you told us that you are taking vitamin D supplements over winter. There’s good evidence that doing this can support your bone and muscle health, and there’s also some evidence that it could have an additional benefit in reducing your risk of respiratory infections – although more research on this is needed.
  • Some readers are reducing their risk of picking up winter bugs by wearing a mask in – or avoiding – crowded indoor spaces. “I ensure I wash my hands as often as possible and always have tissues with me while out in public,” said one reader. Another said: “I ask friends and family to let me know before meeting up if they are unwell.” byKeeping up with prescriptions, doctors’ appointments, and vaccines is a tip from many readers. One said: “I get my flu and Covid boosters when offered and chase up any appointments. Don’t just sit at home and wait. If you’re feeling very poorly, you need to be vocal. After many years as a medical receptionist, I know from experience that if you’re polite and explain calmly, things can be done to help you.”
  • Winter often increases pressures on the NHS, so readers had these tips for how to get what you need. Angela Mackoon said: “I receive repeat prescriptions through an online pharmacy service.” Another reader joked that his pharmacist had become his “new GP”: “He is the one who helped me manage my blood pressure and he advises me on health issues.”
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