Is there evidence that living in a certain area promotes better health? Our blog post digs in and reveals the answer!
Warm Vs. Cold
While there are pros and cons to each type of climate, one thing is for sure: a good climate can improve quality of life and amount to a healthier lifestyle. A warm climate will increase your exposure to vitamin D, which can help with cancer prevention, improve energy levels and even help your bones become stronger. Limiting yourself to colder environments can also help prevent circulatory problems, especially as you age.
Wanting to lose weight? Living in a cold climate may benefit your metabolism. When it’s cold, your body has to work harder than usual to maintain its core temperature. Because of this, you can burn more calories. That’s also why some research shows that drinking ice cold water is helpful for weight loss (same concept). Colder temperatures can also help suppress allergy symptoms, improve clarity and can lower inflammation.
Consider the Seasonal Syndrome
Don’t forget about the psychological component of the climate. Weather can affect a person’s mood, energy level, and motivation – some more drastically than others. While cold weather can improve your heart health (exercising outdoors can cause your heart to pump more oxygenated blood to stay ‘warm’ enough in cold temperatures), it can also cause your mood to drop. Does constant rain low temperatures day after day get you down? Need to see the sun to feel balanced and happy? Cold temperatures may not be the healthiest place for you to be – and vice versa.
Whether you live in a cold or hot climate (or you’re considering a move), it’s important to weight out all the factors that contribute to both your physical and mental health.