How to Look After Your Health During Winter

When the days get shorter and temperatures drop, it can be easy to spend more time indoors, become less active and let healthy routines slip. Winter can bring a few extra challenges, from seasonal bugs and lower vitamin D levels to changes in mood and energy.

Looking after yourself doesn't have to mean making big changes. A balanced diet, regular movement, enough sleep and a few simple habits can all help you look after your health during the colder months.

Here are seven practical ways to support your physical and mental wellbeing this winter.

1. Eat a Balanced, Varied Diet

A healthy, balanced diet is important all year round, but it's worth paying attention to your eating habits when the weather turns colder. Warming meals such as vegetable soups, lentil stews and homemade casseroles can be an easy way to include a range of nutritious ingredients.

Aim to eat a variety of foods, including fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, beans and pulses, protein sources and dairy or fortified alternatives. These foods provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients your body needs to function normally. ¹

Frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables can be just as useful as fresh options, making it easier to keep a variety of ingredients on hand when it's cold outside.

Try this: Add extra vegetables to soups and stews, keep frozen berries for porridge or smoothies, and include beans or lentils in your favourite winter meals.

2. Pay Attention to Vitamin D

Vitamin D is particularly important during the UK winter. Our bodies make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight, but between October and early March, the sunlight in the UK isn't strong enough for us to make all we need. ²

Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate in the body, which are needed to maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles. ²

The NHS advises that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter. Some people are advised to take a supplement throughout the year, including those who have little or no sunshine exposure. ²

It's important not to assume that taking more is better. Unless advised by a healthcare professional, adults should not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day - the recommended amount may be different for children.

3. Keep Moving, Even When It's Cold

When it's dark and chilly outside, getting off the sofa can take a little more effort. However, regular physical activity supports your general health and can help you maintain strength, mobility and wellbeing. ³

You don't need to take up a new sport or follow an intensive exercise plan. Walking, cycling, dancing, swimming or a short home workout can all help you build movement into your week.

If the weather makes outdoor exercise difficult, try an indoor activity instead. Even breaking up long periods of sitting with short movement breaks can be a useful starting point.

Try this: Plan a short lunchtime walk, follow an online exercise session or put on your favourite music and move around at home.

4. Look After Your Sleep

Changes in daylight and daily routines can affect how rested you feel during winter. Busy schedules, stress and spending less time outdoors may also make it harder to maintain a consistent sleep routine.

Most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep a night, although individual needs vary. ⁴ Getting enough sleep can help you feel more refreshed and ready to manage everyday demands.

Try to go to bed and wake up at similar times each day, create a relaxing bedtime routine and give yourself time to wind down before sleeping. Getting outside during daylight hours may also help support your daily sleep-wake routine.

5. Support Your Immune System

Colds, flu and other respiratory infections are common during winter. While there's no guaranteed way to avoid getting ill, everyday habits can help support your general health and reduce the spread of germs.

A varied diet provides nutrients needed for normal immune function. Vitamins A, C and D, along with minerals such as zinc and selenium, all have roles in the normal functioning of the immune system. ¹ ⁵

You can get these nutrients from a range of foods, including fruit and vegetables, eggs, fish, dairy products, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. Supplements may be useful if you're not getting enough of a particular nutrient, but taking extra won't necessarily prevent infections if your intake is already adequate.

Other practical steps include washing your hands regularly, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping indoor spaces well ventilated where possible. If you're eligible for a seasonal flu or COVID-19 vaccination, check the latest NHS guidance. ⁶

6. Make Time for Your Mental Wellbeing

Winter can affect how we feel as well as how we move and eat. Shorter days and reduced daylight may leave some people feeling less energetic or motivated, while others find the colder months more isolating.

Make time for activities you enjoy, stay in touch with friends and family, and try to get outside during daylight hours when you can. Regular movement and a consistent daily routine may also help support your wellbeing. ⁷

It's also worth recognising when a change in mood is more than a passing winter slump. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern and often occurs during winter. Symptoms can include persistent low mood, loss of interest in usual activities, tiredness and sleeping more than usual. ⁷

If your mood is affecting your daily life, speak to your GP. Support and treatment are available.

7. Keep Warm and Take Care in Cold Weather

Staying warm is an important part of looking after your health during winter. Cold weather can pose particular risks for older adults, young children and people with certain long-term health conditions. ⁸

Wear suitable layers when going outdoors, keep your home at a comfortable temperature and take extra care on icy pavements. If possible, keep the rooms you use regularly at around 18°C or warmer, particularly if you're older or have a health condition. ⁸

It's also worth checking that you have enough essential food and prescribed medicines at home before severe weather arrives. If you're concerned about an older relative or neighbour, a quick call or visit can help you check whether they need support.

FAQs

Should I take vitamins during winter?

Vitamin D is the main supplement the NHS recommends that everyone in the UK should consider taking during autumn and winter. ² Other supplements may be useful depending on your diet, lifestyle or individual needs, but not everyone needs to take a multivitamin. If you're unsure what is suitable for you, ask a pharmacist or healthcare professional.

How can I stay active during winter?

Choose activities that fit your routine and the weather. Walking during daylight, exercising at home, swimming or joining an indoor class can all help you stay active. Start at a level that feels manageable and build up gradually.

Why do I feel more tired during winter?

There can be several reasons, including changes to your sleep routine, reduced activity, stress or an underlying health issue. If tiredness is persistent, unexplained or affecting everyday life, speak to your GP rather than assuming it's simply the time of year.

How can I help protect myself from winter bugs?

Wash your hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, ventilate indoor spaces where possible and check whether you're eligible for seasonal vaccinations. Eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep support general health, but no supplement or lifestyle habit can guarantee that you won't get an infection. ⁶

Winter doesn't have to mean putting your wellbeing on hold. Small, consistent habits can help you look after yourself through the colder months, from eating a varied diet and checking your vitamin D intake to staying active, getting enough sleep and making time for your mental health.

Start with the changes that feel realistic for you. Whether that's adding more vegetables to your meals, getting outside during daylight or keeping your home warm, simple steps can help you build a winter routine that works for you.