Tips for Staying Warm in Winter
Winter can be a tough time for some people. The lack of sunlight makes it hard to wake up in the morning and the cold weather can really damper motivation to stay active and be outside. There’s mornings I wake up and would love to stay in bed all day cuddling with my husband and Timothy, but I have clients to see and classes to teach! I love what I do because I get to be active, running around all day, but it also requires a lot of time outside even in the cold. Over the years I’ve come up with a list of tricks to keep me warm throughout winter:
Wear Leg Warmers! Leg warmers were a craze in the 80’s and luckily they’ve come back into style for not just fashion, but function. Leg warmers make it possible for me to wear my lighter weight yoga pants all year round and still stay warm.
Mittens vs. Gloves: I’m a big fan of mittens over gloves. By keeping your fingers together, it generates body warm and if you’re like me and suffer from cold hands, mittens are key.
Hand Warmers: On those super cold days when just mittens won’t suffice, I reach for hand warmers. I learned this trick growing up while skiing, but you can use hand warmers for everyday use – they’re not just for on the mountains! You can also put the hand warmers in your pants, or jacket pocket to warm up the rest of your body if you’re hands are already warm.
Chili Pepper Shots: This is a little trick I learned for a holistic healer – take a shot of ¼ tsp of organic chili pepper powder mixed with a bit of water 2-3x a day. It’s best to do this with food, as it can cause some upset on an empty stomach. It will help raise your body temperature and keep you warm all day.
Sip on Ginger: In Chinese medicine, ginger is a very warming food and eating/drinking warm foods in the winter can help keep your body temperature up. Soak a slice of ginger in 8oz of boiling water for a few minutes (like you would tea) and drink daily! You can also add a slice of lemon and it is a great way to get your digestive system doing in the morning.
Drink Warm/Hot Water: In order to keep your body temperature up all day, you want to make sure that you’re not putting too many cold things in your body. Replacing your cold water with warm, or hot water is an easy way to do this! Add some lemon for flavor if just plain hot water is a bit odd to you.
Last, but not least, STAY ACTIVE! Keeping your body moving is a sure fire way to keep your temperature up.
I’ve found that confronting the cold weather and being outside in winter really helps fight the winter blues!
I’d love to hear from you! What are some of your tricks/tips for staying warm in the winter??
Kristin McGee is a celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor in New York City. She is currently teaching yoga with Peloton. She is the star of over 100 videos, seen in several magazines and tv shows and is a spokeswoman for many brands and causes she believes in. A proud mom to three, she sure keeps herself busy!