Good morning! Last week, I reminded you to wash your water bottle. This week, I’m reminding you to wash your sheets—probably more frequently than you already are. 🤢 If you need some inspiration, look no further than this article.

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🌞 Get ahead of SAD by getting happy outside!

Today’s article is about getting the best of both worlds: the benefits of walking + the benefits of vitamin D. Let’s start with the latter.

Vitamin D is one of our most essential nutrients. It’s vital for so many aspects of our health, including bone health, muscle & nerve function, immunity, heart health, inflammation regulation, and more. Sadly, many people are deficient in vitamin D. Some are severely deficient to the point of disease, but many more have suboptimal levels that are still affecting their health. Raising your vitamin D levels to optimal can have benefits you might not even know you need.

Vitamin D levels also naturally fall as we enter the winter months, as sun exposure is a major source of our body’s vitamin D production. Low vitamin D levels are likely a contributor to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that hits many of us around Jan/Feb. Now that we’re already over halfway to the beginning of winter, you’ve probably noticed that we’re getting less and less sun every day. That means our bodies are producing less vitamin D, and our levels could start dropping soon.

Interestingly our bodies store a significant amount of vitamin D in our body fat. It’s one of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K). Fortunately for us, that means that in a way, we can sort of pre-load our vitamin D to prepare for the winter months!

The more body fat a person has, the more vitamin D intake (via diet) and production (via sunlight) they require. Don’t guess wrong—having more body fat isn’t good for your vitamin D levels; those with more body fat typically have lower vitamin D levels in the blood and organs (where it matters), because their fat cells absorb so much of it.

But we’ve all got some body fat, which means, like a bear stocking up on berries for hibernation, we have the potential for storing vitamin D that can be released when we need it. 

*scene change with cool transition*

Now let’s talk about walking. At Move to Improve, you know we tout the benefits of walking. There’s not much that ails you that more walking won’t benefit. It’s certainly helpful for body weight management, blood pressure regulation, blood glucose management, joint health, mental health, creativity, stress management, and so much more. 

While there’s been some debate about the “magic number” of steps to take every day, what’s not debatable is that taking 1,000-2,000 more steps per day than your baseline average is almost always beneficial. Humans were born to walk. Motion is lotion.

• If it’s helpful, ~2,000 steps equals ~1 mile equals ~20 minutes of walking (depending on step size and pace, of course). 

Regular walking breaks throughout your day—especially after a meal—can support your metabolic and physical health. It can improve posture, mobility, and blood flow. Even if you’ve only got 5-10 minutes between commitments, making this a habit can create a lasting impact on your health.

*flash forward to new, even cooler scene*

No more burying the lede. TAKE SOME WALKS OUTSIDE! That’s it! That’s the thesis! It’s so simple, yet so effective. That doesn’t always mean it’s easy, but it’s always worth it. Combine the benefits of walking with the benefits of sun exposure (and they go beyond just vitamin D). 

Before we lose too much more sun, take advantage of this beautiful time of year. The UV index won’t be too high if you’re in the northern hemisphere now, meaning your sunburn risk is significantly lower than in summer, but still with plenty enough light to produce vitamin D in your body. 

Try to break up sedentary (sitting) time with walking breaks as often as you can (ideally every half hour or so, but even every couple hours is certainly better than nothing). Boost your vitamin D levels today.

Get ahead of SAD this winter. It’ll make you happy :)

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: Get outside for 5-10 minutes at least once per day with some skin exposed to sunlight.

Level 2: Go for walks for at least a total of 20 min per day, split up if needed.

Level 3: Increase your average daily steps by 2,000+ by taking at least two walks outside per day!

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✍️ Drew's Picks:

• Nothing new for ya this week :) Enjoy your time outside!

Have a lovely start to your October, and I’ll catch ya next week! Please click the link below to share with a friend who might benefit from this week’s article.

Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).