WINTER WELLNESS TIPS

Read more about each of these goals on the Monarch Fitness Blog

1. Set Goals that Motivate You
2. Schedule Your Training
3. If You're Just Beginning, Start Small
4. Make Exercise Social
5. Track Your Progress!

Monarch Fitness focuses on older adults and those with disabilities. All are welcome!

Winter is for dreaming. It is a time of working deeply on a letting go, unwinding from the past year, and things having slowed down enough to ‘work through’ things best done in the season! Have yourself as relaxed as you can before going to sleep so you can rest in your dreams.

The Clairvoyant Center of Chicago is offering free healings on your dreamscape on 2nd Sundays in January, February and March- when you start to ‘awaken’ for Spring.

Get outside regardless of how cold it is, bundle up (layers!) and get to the rocks or the beach and sit by the water and meditate even if only for 3 mins. If you just said to yourself that you can’t meditate then go sit by the water and count your inhales and your exhales for a few minutes and see how you feel. If you can do this when the sun is coming up even better to get that sunshine direct in your eyes is a helpful way to start your day - and be sure to take off those sunglasses for those few mins.

Try a new class at a yoga studio you’ve never been to before to see if you find a community that you enjoy spending time with. Meditation, Hot Yoga, West African Dance, Gentle Yoga, Sound Healing, Glow in the Dark Yoga or even Puppy Yoga !

Treat yourself to a healing modality like Acupuncture, Shiatsu/Thai Yoga massage, Reiki etc.

Consider checking out the Sauna Club at Dempster and Lake Michigan and maybe possibly take a dip in the lake or not

The morning sun does powerful things to impact your biochemistry, energy levels, immune system and more. Even if it is cloudy, exposure to the morning sky will help your body respond better to the day ahead. Morning sun exposure has also been shown to help improve your sleep!

If you can get outside, that is great. If you can't (or don't want to!) go outside in the morning, sitting by the window or simply opening curtains to let in the morning light will trigger a cascade of positive effects in your brain and body.

This tip is good all year round! But it is especially valuable when the days are short and the daylight hours are limited.

Winter months drop in temperature and lack of humidity, can create havoc on skin health. Our skin can have a difficult time retaining moisture, leading to itchy, dry skin and cracked lips. Here are tips for healthy radiant winter skin:

• change your cleanser to a natural gentle cleansers
• exfoliate gently, skin can be more sensitive in colder temps.
• prioritize hydration by drinking plenty of water, coconut water a bonus with electrolytes
• stay hydrated from the inside, adding fresh ground flaxseed, soaked chia seed or fish oil to you daily plan
• eliminate dryness and keep your body smooth, hydrated and glowing by using a soft bristle body brush in upward gentle strokes, followed by organic coconut oil or organic sesame seed oil, which can be found at your local grocer.  

A few tips to nurture your mental health during the winter months:

• Add activities to your calendar so you have things to look forward to (dinner with a friend, travel, workout class etc.)
• Prioritize healthy food. Cooking your own meals is great for this. Try to add in warming foods such as bone broth, cooked grains and veggies, etc).
• Get your sleep (try to get at least 8 hours per night)
• Consider a new hobby
• Yoga, qi gong, meditation can be great ways to calm your mind
• Move your body – whether it is going for a walk, playing a sport, cleaning your house or taking a class at the gym, movement is a great way to help your body feel good
• Stay connected to your support system
• Journal
• Do the things that make you happy
• It is okay to embrace slowness

1. Engage Your Core: A strong core helps stabilize your body, reducing the risk of slipping. Practice movements like planks, bridges, and pelvic tilts to keep your core activated.
2. Improve Balance: Pilates exercises like single-leg stands or standing leg lifts can enhance your balance, crucial for navigating icy surfaces.
3. Stay Flexible: Gentle stretches, such as the Cat-Cow or Roll Down, keep muscles limber and reduce the risk of strains from sudden movements on ice.
4. Strengthen Lower Body: Focus on exercises like leg circles or footwork on the reformer to build strong legs and ankles, providing stability and reducing injury risks during slips.
5. Practice Mindful Movement: Pilates teaches you to move with control. Apply this to walking on icy paths—take slow, deliberate steps, and avoid sudden movements.
6. Wear Proper Footwear: Supportive, non-slip shoes are essential. Think of them as your “equipment” for outdoor Pilates!
7. Warm Up Before Heading Out: Activate your muscles with a few minutes of Pilates-inspired warm-ups, like standing marches or seated spine stretches, before braving the cold.
8. Maintain Posture: Keep your shoulders back, spine straight, and head up to avoid falls and reduce strain on your body.

Stay safe and strong this winter—Club Pilates Evanston has you covered!

When it comes to skin care in the dry winter months, remember that how we treat the inside will reflect on the outside. Hydrate! Good hydration is fundamental to skin health.

• In addition to drinking water, think of hydrating boosters like coconut water and herbal tea with honey (Bond honey for the most local source).
• Fruits and vegetables are another source of hydration (Village Farmstand for local & organic).
• Bone broth is excellent for hydrating and supplying a rich source of collagen (Papa Bop for oxtail soup, Homestead meats to make your own).
• Raw nuts & seeds to provide health oils. Talk to your local herbalist (In Fine Fettle) to find out what herbs may benefit you and our friends at JD Mills for vitamins/minerals to nourish the skin.
• For topical skin health consult with Luna Delgado for personalized Skincare regimen.

Art doesn’t have to be something that requires special supplies and lots of time/skill. Take a few minutes from your day and find pieces of nature or interesting items around you and make a collage, mandala, or little scene. Maybe there is a word or theme that you want to explore like “balance” or “peace” or “new beginnings”. This may just be a fun little break in your day, but it can also help to develop creative problem-solving skills, express ideas in new ways, and build a sense of mindfulness in your environment.

Winter is a great time to work on your flexibility. Take your time in a mindful yoga class to stretch muscles and fascia. Beat the winter blues by being around a community of smiling faces. Yin or restorative yoga are great options if you are feeling fatigued or extremely stressed, while Hatha or Vinyasa Flow are great if you are also working on building strength and balance. In yoga, we are all about showing up for ourselves - so, listen to your intuition. If that's not easy, come to a class and let our amazing teachers inspire you.

During the winter, people tend to feel more aches and pains as a result of the colder weather and dropping barometric pressure. The best thing we can do is make sure that we are bundled up with coats, hats and scarves to help reduce the tightness in muscles that occurs with exposure to the cold. The reason this happens is that the brain wants to protect the core for warmth, and pulls blood flow from our extremities, lessening the blood flow causes muscles to tighten up.

When we exercise, chemicals like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine are released. Exercise also helps to reduce chemicals like adrenalin and cortisol, which may cause feelings of anxiety and tension. Additionally, exercise is a keystone habit that has numerous benefits.

Tell me more about these chemicals.

Endorphins: Endorphins are chemicals produced by the nervous system. These chemicals can act as a pain reliever and happiness booster. The feeling of well-being known as a runner’s high after vigorous exercise is caused by an increase in endorphin levels.

Serotonin: Serotonin is a hormone that impacts your mood. Low serotonin levels have been associated with depression. Even small amounts of exercise have been shown to improve serotonin levels.

Dopamine: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that contributes to the feelings of happiness. Over time, regular exercise leads to higher circulating levels of dopamine. Even looking forward to exercising can help increase your levels of dopamine.

Adrenalin and Cortisol: Adrenalin and cortisol are two of the body’s stress hormones; exercise can help to reduce the levels of these hormones.

Breathing though your nose is important. Dry winter air can cause dry mouths, which can lead to numerous dental issues, including dental decay and gum disease.

In the winter months, it's difficult to be out among others. Isolation can be tough on one's emotional wellness. Try saying a kind hello to a stranger, or making a conscious decision to say something nice to someone to refill your tank. You'll be surprised how much this small gesture can mean to both you and the person who receives it.

Take the pressure off yourself a little by giving some of it to a friend. In order to best get back to being consistent, have a strong accountability friend or coach. It's a best practice to have set days for you both to do your fitness activities together.

Remember to preserve your energy by getting good sleep and restorative physical activity. Practices such as meditation, qi gong, tai chi, or yin yoga that focus on breath-work and stillness can help manage stress and keep you feeling your best in mind, body, and spirit.

UV rays are harmful during this time of year ( even on cloudy days because the ozone layer is at its thinnest. Additionally, snow and ice can reflect up to 80% of these rays, making it especially important to keep your skin protected. Avoid chemical sunscreens and stick with active ingredient zinc oxide protection.  

These cold, dark winter months, topped off with a global pandemic, make it difficult to stay active. There is strong evidence to show that movement can be a powerful tool to boost our physical, mental, emotional health. Good news: research is showing that all movement counts, and it all adds up! On the other hand, lack of movement also adds up and can have cumulative negative effects on our health. Here are a few tips to help you keep moving through the winter:

• Get some fresh outdoor air every day. Embrace winter and invest in some base layers (i.e., thermal underwear), and other winter gear so you can stay warm and motivated to go out for a walk or play outside with the kids. Parent tip: building igloos and snowmen can be quite a workout!
• Recess break! Set your alarm for “recess” breaks during the day. For 10-15 minutes, look away from your device and move – walk, dance, stretch, it all counts!
• See a movement expert. If it is difficult to get moving because of pain, injury, or just not knowing how to start effectively, see a physical therapist to help you out. That’s what we’re here for.

Internally, we can help fight colds and flus by increasing our vitamin D and C to help out immune system. Both Vitamin C and D help our immune system by binding to viral coats and making them weaker, which allows the white blood cells to do their job a lot more efficiently. During Chicago’s winter months, the cold makes us cover up more, and there are less sunlight hours, so our Vitamin D levels drop. Additionally there aren’t as many virus fruits growing during the winter, so natural vitamin C levels can drop in our diets. Supplementing both of these in to your daily routine, will help your body be healthier during the winter months.

Nourish your sense of wellbeing by focusing on what you love about winter. For some, this may be invigorating outdoor activities such as skiing, ice skating, or long winter walks. Others may find their joy by turning inward, being cozy with a soft blanket, a deep mug of tea, and a quiet activity like reading, journaling, or knitting.

The winter months are in some ways a quieter, more reflective time. Especially during the pandemic, people may be socializing less, spending more time in their own homes. Take this time to reconnect to your deeper self and engage in a journey toward meaning, consciousness, and wholeness. The Jungian approach suggests that dreams are windows to one’s sense of meaning and purpose. Try writing down your dreams and see what is revealed about you. This can help you clarify feelings and work through unprocessed issues. New insights and directions can become evident.

When deciding what to eat, minimize raw, cold, and foods that can burden the Kidney and Spleen energies (e.g. dairy, sugar, cheese). Instead, start your day with hot ginger tea or a steamy cup of bone broth and enjoy meals with warm soups and slow-cooked stews using seasonal ingredients like root vegetables. Bone broth, beans, and squash are warm, nutritious & supportive to the Kidneys,. Home cooking is best! It’s the perfect time for that butternut squash recipe you’ve been wanting to try. Use ginger, cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek or other warming spices for a delicious taste that will spread that delectable heat all the way down to your toes. Other whole foods such as citrus, garlic and mushrooms can help to support your immune system. Also consider taking a quality mushroom supplement to boost your immune response.

Your eyes need a little extra TLC in cold dry weather, just as your skin does. Use a good quality tear (we sell Oasis brand in our shop) twice daily in winter months to stabilize your eye moisture. Using an artificial tear before you go outside will help eliminate the reflex tearing too!

It’s cold, dark and icy out. What are some options I can do from home?

Monarch Fitness Coaching offers a full range of Zoom trainings that can be done with no equipment from your home. We have programs for strength, stability, flexibility, and cardio—all of which can be completed in a 4-by-6-foot area.

• Strength: Do pushups, dips, squats, and lunges.
• Stability: Jog in place, skip, hop, plank, and crawl.
• Cardio: Climb stairs, jog in place, walk your halls, jump, and walk backward.
• Flexibility: Move all your joints through their healthy range of motion, and stretch.

Moxa, a dried form of the herb mugwort (Artemisia species), is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its warm nature and regulatory effects on the blood. In the practice of moxibustion, moxa is safely burned near the skin to warm and stimulate acupuncture points and areas of the body. Moxibustion improves the circulation of qi and blood, warming and strengthening the body to treat symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and some types of infertility, respiratory, and digestive disorders. Moxibustion is available at In Fine Fettle with the recommendation of your Chinese Medicine practitioner.

Smiling is very importance for overall wellbeing, but it also a fantastic way to protect your teeth from daytime clenching and grinding. While smiling your teeth do not touch, which results in less tooth wear and therefore less sensitivity.

What are some exercises that are beneficial when you have a short period of time?

Monarch Fitness Coaching, recommends an assessment prior to starting any training; however, if you are not experiencing discomfort and have 5–10 minutes, below are some exercises to try.

• Walk.
• Jog in place.
• Alternate lifting your knees up.
• Go up and down the stairs.
• Sit in a chair, stand, repeat.
• Kneel on the floor, stand, repeat.
• Do cat cows.
• Crawl.

Keep it simple when the weather gets to you. This means that your to-do list may not get done. Be at peace with that. What's more, be sure to be kind to yourself (and those around you) when you're not running at top speed.

Do you experience reflex tearing when you are outdoors in the winter? Do you wake up with crusties? Are you prone to styes? Do you want fuller, thicker eyelashes? The answer to all of the above is clean eyelashes! We prefer products that don't use preservatives, such as our We Love Eyes foaming cleanser. Use daily at bedtime for best results.