Winter refers to the months of October, November, and December in the Chinese lunar calendar, including six solar terms: Beginning of Winter, Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold. In winter, the weather is cold and the earth is cold, causing all things to wither. The important principle of winter health preservation is to "nourish the kidneys and prevent cold". The kidneys are the driving force of human life. With strong kidney qi and vitality, the body can adapt to the changes of harsh winter. The key to ensuring strong kidney qi is to prevent the invasion of severe cold weather.

Cold qi should stimulate the kidneys. The kidney is the driving force of human life and the "innate foundation" of the human body. In winter, the body's yang energy is restrained, and the physiological activities of the body also converge. At this time, the kidneys need to prepare sufficient energy to maintain winter calorie expenditure and store a certain amount of energy for the coming year, so nourishing the kidneys is crucial. In terms of diet, it is important to constantly pay attention to kidney health, supplement calories, eat more animal based foods and legumes, and supplement vitamins and inorganic salts. Dog meat, lamb meat, goose meat, duck meat, soybeans, walnuts, chestnuts, fungus, sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, radishes, etc. are all suitable foods for winter.

Cold resistant exercise is beneficial for humans, as it helps the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, exercise, and endocrine systems, thereby reducing the occurrence of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accidents, colds, coughs, arthritis, obesity, and other diseases. At the same time, cold resistance can make people live longer. For young people, cold resistance can also exercise their strong will and tenacious spirit, which should be particularly advocated. But when suffering from a cold or fever, never engage in vigorous exercise. Otherwise, it will worsen the condition and even trigger myocardial infarction or myocarditis. Don't forget to do warm-up activities before exercising. Because in cold conditions, the muscles of the human body become stiff, the flexibility of joints is poor, and muscle strains or joint contusions are prone to occur. The intensity of exercise should be arranged properly, especially the speed of running should gradually increase from slow to fast. The amount of exercise should vary from person to person and be gradual, especially for the elderly, weak, and sick, as well as children and adolescents. The intensity of exercise must not be too high. Do not breathe through your mouth during exercise, use your nose instead. Because the cold air filtered through the nose is clean, moist, and not too cold, it can provide good protection for the respiratory system.

Notes:

1. Winter health should try to go to bed early and wake up late.

2. Pay attention to keeping your back warm. The back is the yang of the yang, and evil qi such as wind and cold can easily penetrate the back of the human body, causing diseases. Elderly, children, and the weak should pay more attention to keeping their backs warm in winter.

3. Pay attention to keeping warm and protected from the cold. The climate is colder in winter, so the frequency of going out should be reduced. If you want to go out, be sure to wear warm clothes and shoes.

4. Taking a shower in winter, a slight carelessness can cause colds and respiratory diseases. Therefore, the frequency of bathing should be reduced.

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