If you need to exercise more and improve your diet, there is no bad time to start, but now spring is upon us, this can be the very best time of year.
Many people make it a New Year's resolution to get in shape after all that Christmas indulgence, but it can be hard to do so when it is still cold and dark. That is not just a matter of not wanting to go outside and run in the cold, but the greater desire for hot comfort food when it is grim and gloomy.
Spring is not without its own challenges, of course; the Easter eggs are everywhere in the shops, will hit the reduce-to-clear shelf on Easter Monday and as the weather gets warmer the ice cream vans will appear.
However, there are some great advantages to getting started in the warmer and lighter days of this season.
Firstly, the extra sunlight itself has a very positive effect. Humans may not be like plants that can photosynthesise, but more sunlight can help release a hormone called serotonin, which is a mood-booster. Its lack is associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder, when people suffer depression during the dark winter months.
This means you can feel more positive about everything you do, as well as more energetic. This will help you no end with motivation, which is crucial when you are getting started on your health and fitness regime and will make you more responsive to your lifestyle coaching.
Extra sunlight has other health benefits too, although of course when it gets hot in summer you may need some sun cream, especially if you have fair skin. But the warmth itself will encourage you to get outdoors more and exercise.
Moreover, because of Britain’s northerly latitude, the light evenings will be great times for training. If it gets very hot as we move into summer, it may be more pleasantly cool and favourable in the evenings and therefore ideal for getting outside. And even if it rains, it will still be warmer.
If you work 9-5, this makes it much easier to find the free time while it is light. At Birmingham’s latitude, summer sunsets are as late as 21.34 in late June.
Longer daylight hours also mean you can do other things to build up fitness, like taking long walks in the countryside. That can be particularly useful if you are really going to stretch yourself by hiking in a mountainous area like Snowdonia, where light days and better weather enable you to take on bigger routes and do so in greater safety.
Diet is another issue you can address more easily in the lighter months. Besides the above-mentioned ice cream, the days, weeks and months after Easter tend to be healthier from a culinary perspective.
It’s not just that there’s no Christmas pudding, pancakes, or Easter eggs, while bonfire toffee is still months away. You can also eat more healthy, uncooked meals like salads. Just go easy at the BBQ!
Spring may not have a clear-cut start like a new year, but for all these good seasonal reasons, it is a great time to get fit and have good habits established before the cold, dark, and culinary excessive challenges of autumn and winter roll around again.
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