Spring Fever

By the time you read this spring, according to the calendar, will be just around the corner. If you have stepped outside in the last week you know this is not how it feels out there. In just this past week we had an ice storm, followed by a blizzard, followed by a thunder and lightening storm. What a doozy of a week weather-wise.

A patient complained to me this week about the heart attack snow. I had never heard this term but immediately I knew what he meant: that snow was agonizingly heavy to move thus very straining on the body. Thus, here are my top 5 tips for surviving the last few weeks of winter (and beyond since it is likely to remain cold for a few more months).

1. If you see the sun, run to it! We long for it, body and soul, so when you see it shining, just get out in it. If the paths are not clear enough for a walk simply sit for 10 minutes outside.

2. Shovel in small spurts. While this might be common sense I have witnessed many people on marathon shoveling trips in their yards. It is not worth it. Set a portable timer for 30 minutes and work no harder than an exercise pace. When the timer beeps quit and head inside for at least an hour warm up and rest. 

3. Wear solid footing. As the snow melts and the ice turns to puddles we are tempted to shed our boots. Please continue wearing sensible shoes until the winter is really through. Black ice is all over the city and holes from the salted grounds abound. Falling is not worth the fashion points.

4. Stay hydrated. With the barometric fluctuations and the dry heated environments many of us are dehydrated. Up your fluid intake and your body will thank you.

5. Low Sugar/High quality diet. As the weather lightens and the New Year is just a glimmer in the past, our commitments to eating well tend to wane. Recommit and keep those illnesses away.

Stay warm and keep your head up...we have almost made it through another long winter!

Dr. Allison K. Norris

Norris Family Chiropractic