Winter is Coming!

What you can do to stay active, healthy, and prepared.

Exercise:

With early sunsets and cold weather, exercising in winter is a challenge.  Here are a few ideas on how to stay fit this winter.

• Walk in a nearby mall.
  With Minnesota being the birthplace of indoor malls, we have a plethora of malls for staying toasty while walking.  Some, like the Mall of America, even have set walking paths with mile markers.
• Join a gym.
  There are many options and, depending on your age, there could be a discount.
• Sign up for a Community Education fitness class.
  Many communities offer a variety of affordable classes.  Here are web links to just a few of them.
  Minneapolis: http://www.mplscommunityed.com
  St. Paul: https://stpaul.ce.feepay.com
  St. Louis Park:  https://slp.thatscommunityed.com
  Edina:  https://edina.thatscommunityed.com

Winter Blues:

Many of us hunker down, and stay inside during the cold winter months.  Here are a few fun events to help get you out of the house and meet new people.

• Sign up for Community Education Classes
  Not only do they offer fitness classes but also have a variety of painting and crafts classes as well as other learning opportunities.  See above for links to a few of their websites.

• Sign up for a class offered by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Minnesota.
  http://www.cce.umn.edu/Osher-Lifelong-Learning-Institute/About-OLLI-Membership/index.html

Cold/Flu:

It is no secret that the cold and flu season is upon us.  Here are a few tips to stay healthy.

• Wash hands often and especially before every meal.
• Use hand sanitizer after touching door handles and other busy, often used services.  (Many stores offer this when you first walk in)
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Eat a well balanced and varied diet.
  Many times in winter, our ability to access fruit and veggies decreases.  Even so, it is still very important to keep your dinner plate colorful with a variety of different fruits and veggies.

Home:

• Keep enough canned food and water supplies for any possible power outages or snow storms.
• Check your furnace to make sure it is working properly and efficiently to decrease the possibility of carbon monoxide (CO) leaks.
• Have a CO detector.
• Keep a flashlight nearby and ready to use during a power outage.

Car:

Plan for extra time to get to your destination.
Have an emergency kit in your car. Every kit should contain these important items:

• Blanket
• Shovel
• Kitty Litter
• Phone Charger
• Extra Pair of Gloves, Hat, and Hand Warmers
• Matches and Flashlight
• Water and Energy Bars
• Jumper Cables