It's the dead of winter—the New Year's momentum is waning and we're counting down the days until spring. Unfortunately, according to the groundhog, we have a long way to go.
But while many of us feel more energized and motivated during the warmer, longer days of spring and summer, that doesn't mean winter is devoid of its own perks.
In this article, we'll go through five wellness hacks to help you make the best of the season and pull yourself out of that winter slump.
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Use the Cold to Your Advantage
Stay Hydrated
You may not think hydration is super critical in the winter, after all, there's no heavy sunshine or humidity and the outdoor temperatures are far from warm.
Despite this, there are other risk factors for dehydration that are especially prevalent during the cold season. Dry air and indoor heating create an environment that lacks moisture, causing the body to lose water more easily.1 You may notice this in chapped lips or dry hands.
Hydration is vital for health year-round, and in the winter, you can easily get dehydrated without realizing it. This is partly because people tend to feel less thirsty in the winter, and due to the cold, don't expect to be dehydrated.
Water makes up 60-70% of our bodies and is essential for daily functions, supporting processes like immunity and nutrient transport.1
Thus, if you're not feeling your best in the winter, one wellness tactic you could implement is ensuring you're staying hydrated.
To increase your water intake, try infusing your water with herbs or citrus to make it more flavorful, drinking warm beverages like tea or broth, and eating hydrating foods like fruits and veggies.
You can also use a water-tracking app or keep a reusable water bottle close by as a constant reminder throughout your day to drink water.
To help with the dry air, try using a humidifier in the colder months. Dehydration can impact your overall wellness, so it's important to stay on top of it in the wintertime to operate at your best.
Use the Cold to Your Advantage
Many of us may not like the cold, but there are ways to use it to your advantage so you can make the most out of winter.
Cold Plunging
Winter provides the perfect opportunity for cold plunging or cold-water immersion—the practice of submerging yourself, partially or fully, in cold water for brief periods.
The practice has many health benefits including alleviating pain and inflammation.2
If you’re an advanced cold plunger, you can jump straight into a lake or the ocean. Temperatures will already be super cold during winter. If you’re just starting out, try beginning with cold showers or an ice bath.
A cold shower is an excellent way to kick off your day, waking up your system and boosting immunity.3
See all the benefits cold therapy can provide:
Cold Water Therapy | Benefits of an Ice Bath
Could this be the key to your recovery?
Contrast Therapy
Additionally, because cold plunging is more accessible in the winter, the season provides a great opportunity to practice contrast therapy, where you alternate between heat and cold.
Contrast therapy is a common practice used in sports medicine, athletic training, and rehabilitation to alleviate pain and support healing and recovery.4
But anyone can try it— it’s considered safe, non-invasive, and inexpensive. Many spas, gyms, and wellness centers offer contrast therapy. You can even practice this at home by alternating between hot and cold showers or using an at-home sauna or ice bath.4
Contrast therapy is a fantastic way to revitalize your body and keep it performing at its best, optimizing overall wellness.
Winter Sports & Exercise
Another way you can take advantage of the cold is by engaging in winter sports and activities like skiing, snowboarding, or ice skating. These activities are seasonal in many places, so you’ll only get a chance to try them out during winter.
Many use the wintertime as an opportunity to ski because the cold temperatures make it the ideal time of year to hit the slopes. A ski trip is a lovely way to enjoy the cold weather, and with a cozy lodge and warm drinks by the fire, it is a true winter experience.
Ice skating is also a great way to enjoy the season—and outdoor rinks are only available this time of year. Ice skating makes for a fun cold-weather activity, and in large cities like New York City, you’ll find elaborate ice rinks at popular stops like Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center.
Lastly, although winter weather may seem like a deterrent to working out, there are actually unique benefits to exercising in the cold.
Cold temperatures activate brown adipose tissue (BAT), a specific kind of body fat involved in thermogenesis. BAT differs from white adipose tissue (WAT) in that BAT burns energy to produce heat, while WAT stores energy.
This means when you work out in the cold, you're using more stored fat as fuel because your body has to work harder to maintain its core temperature. Additionally, prolonged exposure to the cold increases the conversion of WAT to BAT, resulting in more oxidization, leading you to burn even more fat.5
The activation of brown adipose tissue leads to increased energy expenditure, leading to more calorie burn. Additionally, you burn more calories when working out in the cold due to shivering and a tendency to move more. Training in the cold can increase a person's energy expenditure by up to 30%.5
Read more on the benefits of working out in the cold here:
Are There Any Benefits To Working Out In The Cold?
Lots of us might be facing the prospect of early morning, chilly workouts, but do they help or hinder us?
Prioritize Sunlight
No one likes a lack of sunlight—well, at least not anyone we know. The decreased exposure and weaker sun in the wintertime is not only an issue of preference but is something that can impact your mood and overall wellness.
Sunlight is an important stimulating factor for many processes in the body, including serotonin and melatonin production.6
With the lack of sun in the winter, it’s vital you make an intentional effort to obtain as much sunlight as you can.
Some ways to do this include waking up early and going for a morning walk or practicing a morning stretching routine by a window.
You can also take walking breaks during your workday, rearrange your workspace for maximum sunlight, and plan activities that will bring you outdoors like hikes.
If you feel you’re still not getting sufficient sunshine in the winter, you can get an extra boost from a light therapy lamp.
Light therapy lamps work by mimicking natural sunlight and tricking the brain into thinking there is sun exposure.
This can help promote processes that sunlight is responsible for, like increasing serotonin and decreasing melatonin, supporting mood and sleep patterns.
Boost Your Immunity
During winter, our immunity is generally more fragile due to factors like decreased sunlight and vitamin D, dry air, and increased time spent indoors.
These are some of the reasons why people tend to get sick more often during this time of year.
And if you’re feeling sick, you’re definitely going to feel stuck in the winter rut. Fortunately, you can keep your health optimal in the winter by taking action to boost your immunity.
One quick way to support your immunity is to get your vitamin D levels checked and see a physician to talk about supplementation.
The lack of sun exposure makes vitamin D deficiency more common during this time of year—so ensuring your levels are adequate is essential.
In addition to maintaining your vitamin D levels, prioritizing proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise are all great ways to keep your immune system strong.
Additional strategies you can try to boost immunity include managing stress and improving hygiene to avoid the spread of germs and potential infections and viruses.
7 Easy Ways To Supercharge Your Immune System
Stay feeling your best with nutritionist-approved advice.
Try New Activities
A final way to pull yourself out of the winter slump is to get involved in new activities. Trying new things and having novel experiences is generally an effective way of getting out of any rut, but can be especially useful during the cold season when motivation is low.
In the winter, people tend to stay home more often due to cold weather and shorter days. This internal shift can lead to higher levels of loneliness. One way to combat this is to create a social calendar for yourself with fun activities you can do each week.
If you live in a big city like New York, you’ll always have something new you can try, whether it’s a new restaurant, sport, or club.
A run club or winter sports league can be a great way to get involved in your community. The idea is to try something you haven’t before and get yourself out of the house.
Additionally, see if your city or town has any winter festivals—you can often find many winter-themed programs and events to check out during the season.
Take Home Message
Just because it’s cold out, doesn’t mean you have to succumb to the winter blues. If you’re feeling stuck and unmotivated, try these tips to optimize your wellness and make your winter more enjoyable. You got this.
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- Massachusetts General Hospital. “The Importance of Winter Hydration.” Mass General News, 24 Jan. 2024, https://www.massgeneral.org/news/article/the-importance-of-winter-hydration. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
- Bouzigon R, Dupuy O, Tiemessen I, De Nardi M, Bernard JP, Mihailovic T, Theurot D, Miller ED, Lombardi G, Dugué BM. Cryostimulation for Post-exercise Recovery in Athletes: A Consensus and Position Paper. Front Sports Act Living. 2021 Nov 24;3:688828. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.688828. PMID: 34901847; PMCID: PMC8652002.
- Mahmoud R.M. El-Ansary, Amira R. El-Ansary, Shereen M. Said, Mohamed A. Abdel-Hakeem, Regular cold shower exposure modulates humoral and cell-mediated immunity in healthy individuals, Journal of Thermal Biology, Volume 125, 2024, 103971, ISSN 0306-4565, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103971 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030645652400189X).
- Shadgan B, Pakravan AH, Hoens A, Reid WD. Contrast Baths, Intramuscular Hemodynamics, and Oxygenation as Monitored by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. J Athl Train. 2018 Aug;53(8):782-787. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-127-17. Epub 2018 Sep 13. PMID: 30212235; PMCID: PMC6188085.
- “Are There Any Benefits to Working Out in the Cold?” The Zone by MyProtein, MyProtein, https://us.myprotein.com/thezone/training/are-there-any-benefits-to-working-out-in-the-cold/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.
- Kent, S. T., McClure, L. A., Crosson, W. L., Arnett, D. K., Wadley, V. G., & Sathiakumar, N. (2009, July 28). Effect of sunlight exposure on cognitive function among depressed and non-depressed participants: A regards cross-sectional study. Environmental health : a global access science source. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2728098/
A Rutgers University Honors graduate, Jamie grew up on the Jersey shore and double majored in Comparative Literature and Anthropology in college. Jamie is an experienced writer in the health and wellness, biotech, and eCommerce fields. She loves writing with a purpose and has even written for the Department of Justice.
Jamie became drawn to exercise during her time in university and began to notice the physical and mental benefits of moving your body daily. Today, Jamie enjoys Pilates, light weight training, and going on long walks in nature daily.
Jamie is also passionate about eating right and prioritizing gut health and immunity. She is always trying the next innovation in health and wellness. When she’s not writing articles, Jamie enjoys reading, playing guitar, and finding dogs to play with.
