It is a widely accepted truth that we all feel happier in the spring, and that it is the season that brings hope and fresh beginnings. After a long, dark winter it is not hard to see why we look forward to this season with its longer days, warmer weather, flowers and bird song, but what exactly does it do for our health? Here at Lifton Home Elevators, we have put together five key reasons why our bodies feel better when spring arrives.
Eating Fresh
With the longer days and change in the weather, our bodies stop craving comfort foods packed with sugar and carbs which we so often do during dark winter days, and so healthy eating becomes easier. Thoughts might also turn to the approaching summer, giving the motivation to eat better to look good when the hot weather comes.
Alongside this is the fact that more produce is in season. Whilst in cooler months food gets imported, as the weather warms up food is available more locally. Not only is this great for the environment, but it tends to be fresher, taste better, and so encourages you to eat more of it. So, in spring our desire for more variety of fresh fruit and vegetables increases, meaning our bodies are getting more of the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
Sleep Well
As the nights get shorter and days get longer, strangely enough we tend to sleep better. Sleep scientists say this is because our bodies’ sleep rhythm rely on us being exposed to a certain amount of daylight to set our body clocks. As being outside is more appealing in the spring time we are more likely to get the sunlight we need alongside fresh air and good exercise which also help us to sleep better at night. Good sleep brings almost endless benefits to our health: improved mood, increased mental capacity, better ability to heal, and a better metabolism.
Here Comes The Sun
A huge benefit to better weather and longer days is more sunshine hours, meaning that it is easier to naturally get the vitamin D that we all need. Studies show that nearly 75 per cent of Americans are at risk of a vitamin D deficiency, which is worst in the winter months. Low vitamin D brings with it many things we associate with winter: achy bones, low mood and lethargy.
When we are outside more and it is warm enough for us to show some skin, we have more chance to absorb the vitamin D we need. So maybe it is not just a coincidence we feel so much better in the spring?
More Exercise
When it is cold and dark, wrapping up to go for a walk or a run is not that appealing. Indoor or online classes are a possibility, but it is hard to reach the level of activity indoors as we do, without even thinking about it, outside. In the winter we are much more likely to ride in the car, rather than choose to walk. When the spring comes however, suddenly the thought of getting outside for some daily exercise becomes much more attractive. And even when we’re not actively exercising, just by walking more we are getting those steps in without even thinking about it.
Mood Boost
One of the things we know about spring, but cannot always pinpoint is how much just the fresh smell in the air makes us feel better. Spring brings lots of small subliminal signs that trigger positivity in our brain and just improve our mood and boost our mental health. Birds singing, trees budding green leaves, blossom and early flowers opening all signal that things are improving. Our landscapes and views tend to start to look prettier with blue skies and plants coming back to life, and these simple pleasures can have a profound effect on our mental health without us even realising it.
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