Spring changes!

Does spring have to be late every year! The aura outside the window does not put us in a positive frame of mind, either there are still frosts and snow, or we are wading through mud. However, there are ways to improve your mood, namely: spring resolutions, an inventory of your clothes, some useful exercises, new cosmetics and a new-fangled menu!

Spring activity

Let’s not despair at the lack of the longed-for sunshine. The day is already longer, there is more sun than in winter, the air, despite the precipitation, is more pleasant – refreshing and smells of spring. It is worth finding your favourite sports shoes in your wardrobe and going out, at least for half an hour, for a walk in a nearby park. Walking improves the blood circulation and strengthens the body thanks to temperatures that are not so high. It also improves the figure, as during a one-hour walk we burn between 100 and 150kcal, depending on the pace. If we feel like walking fast, we burn up to 500kcal/hour. A sympathetic ally of spring movement is a bicycle, which waits longingly in the cellar for the beginning of the season. Movement on a bike is very healthy and pleasant, it does not tire us as much as jogging or fast running, and the benefits in burning calories are similar. The only thing to do is to take care of efficient equipment, adjust the height of handlebars and saddles in order not to tire the spine with an uncomfortable position and set off on a ride. Beware of high-risk sports. Running puts a strain on the knee joints and pelvis, especially if you do it unskillfully, in old shoes or occasionally. Then it does more harm than good. Garden enthusiasts are certainly in good shape; an hour of gardening deprives you of as many as 500 calories. When resolving to increase the amount of exercise, let’s not do it inadequately according to our capabilities. A consistent increase in walking or cycling distance is sufficient. Do not overexert your body after winter, as this can easily lead to injury. The body will still feel the positive changes thanks to a bit of healthy exercise in the fresh air.

Time to take stock? Yes!

Spring cleaning is also a form of exercise. Cleaning the floor or windows costs us 250 calories, just turn on your favourite music, open the windows wide and the generally unpleasant cleaning will resemble aerobics. Movement is most enjoyable when it is not forcing the body to just burn calories. Let’s choose a sport that we enjoy. The body intuitively chooses forms of movement that will not harm us. So if you force yourself to run and it is a torture for you, your knees or hips hurt, give it up, choose another sport, lighter, but more pleasant and at the same time much healthier. Pilates or yoga are ideal for people with back problems. Simple exercises can be done on your own, but if you decide to do more difficult positions, do it under the supervision of a trainer who will correct any mistakes. Simple exercises include bends, shoulder bends, stretching, as long as you do them carefully and slowly, without jerking the spine. Those suffering from a chronic lack of energy can try tai-chi and gymnastics in the pool. Taking advantage of the Christmas cleaning, let’s do a spring inventory of clothes and trinkets, which seem to accumulate spontaneously in every household. Let’s throw away accumulated magazines, ornaments, leaving a few vases on top where spring flowers will look nice. The hardest thing is always to get rid of old clothes, because “maybe they will still be useful, they will fit into something next year”. Face it, some of our clothes have been waiting for an average of five years for a matching accessory. If we have a cellar and it’s really hard for us to decide on such a radical step as throwing out unnecessary clothes, let’s put them there for six months, after which time we can easily get rid of the old ones. The remaining clothes should be refreshed, ironed and given a nice scent in the wardrobe. We can also take care of spring accessories such as scarves in vivid colours, jewellery or other decorations. Bolder ladies will change their hair colour or make-up with pastel spring shades – greens and pinks.

Spring diet

Spring is a great time to take care of the skin, both from the inside with small changes in diet and from the outside with cosmetic treatments. The skin reflects our inner state. Pimples appearing on the forehead, temples and between the eyebrows signify an imbalance in secretion, mainly on the digestive side. They indicate that the body is overloaded and in need of detoxification. By taking advantage of spring vegetables, you can relieve the burden on the liver by eating more salads, dishes with stewed vegetables and poultry. Cheaper vegetables will soon be available in supermarkets that are not tasteless like their greenhouse counterparts. The benefits will be felt by our body, skin and line. By giving up heavy dishes with thick sauces on flour or red meat, we gain about 300 kcal. Vegetables are also ideal for breakfast and dinner, cottage cheese with radishes or chives, and tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil can replace a ham sandwich. When losing weight on a diet, you can replace mayonnaise with natural yoghurt or skim cream. As with exercise, when changing your diet, don’t make leaps and bounds. If you love a certain type of food, apparently your body intuitively needs it. Worse, if your favourite food is fast food, crisps or chocolate, then you can replace your favourite foods with healthier ones, add some vegetables and nuts, increase the amount of exercise so that your brain produces serotonin, so that you don’t eat the whole plate, but only half. Don’t give up everything overnight, don’t go on miracle diets that only do your body harm. It is better to rationalise your diet according to the pyramid of healthy eating than to torture yourself with a mono-ingredient diet of a thousand calories. Any positive change will have an effect over time; miracle diets only cause a yo-yo effect. In any case, “eating healthily” will make us happier and therefore prettier. The body will react to radical changes by blocking its normal metabolism, as it will start to save reserves, and we will only feel frustrated that the weight is not going down. It is better to wait patiently, without starvation or irritation, for the results.

Treatments for spring

After winter, the complexion needs more decisive action, preparing it for summer, than just a mask and skin cleansing, which of course are also worth doing. Whether it be a series of visits to the beauty salon or new home care products. One thing is certain – it is worthwhile to act before summer, to intensively moisturise and stimulate the skin to regenerate. Fruit, glycolic, lactic and azelaic acids are very effective in strongly stimulating the skin to rebuild elastin and collagen. They are selected according to the skin problem our skin is facing. The acids penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis. They optimise secretory processes, restoring the natural balance and, above all, very strongly moisturising the skin.

Spring skin care at home

It is best to start acid therapy in early spring in order to achieve an excellent effect even before summer, when the skin is most exposed to the sun’s rays and photo-ageing of elastin fibres. Supplementary cosmetics for use at home may also be recommended for acid treatment. The first spring sun rays, together with the adverse effects of the constantly changing weather, will result in unsightly spider veins and capillaries, the bane of many ladies. Fortunately, all skin problems can be remedied thanks to modern cosmetics. After a few cosmetic procedures with acids, the skin will return the favor with a nice appearance and healthy colour. At the same time, it is worth investing in a nourishing mask and applying it to the face and décolleté at least once a week. Complete the treatment with a cream or a potent serum. It will be absolutely necessary to purchase a firming or anti-orange skin lotion. The skin on the thighs or buttocks needs at least two months to firm and smooth. You can also do waxing, go to the sauna or have a draining massage to improve blood and lymph circulation. If you don’t have time or your finances don’t allow you to do this, invest in a decent body lotion that contains active ingredients. Only with such preparations can you achieve results; the cheapest equivalents will not improve the condition of the skin enough for us to be satisfied with the effect. The most important thing in face and body care is consistency. So remove your make-up every day before going to bed. Don’t forget to apply eye cream, facial cosmetics or to massage your body with the “hedgehog brush”. And be sure to apply lotion after bathing every night. Then you will be satisfied with yourself and your skin will blossom with nature on spring days, which is our sincere wish for all ladies.