female legs and feet running through a park on a spring day

6 Suggestions to Spring Clean Your Health

Ahh, spring…the time for renewal, growth and spring cleaning. You can take it even further by doing a bit of spring cleaning of your overall health, too. Here’s how.

Health and Wellness Tips for Spring

1. Soak Up the Sun.

Winter weather keeps us indoors so take advantage of spring’s warmer temperatures to get outside. Soaking up the sunshine helps replenish your body’s supply of vitamin D, which regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and facilitates your immune system. Just don’t forget to apply sunscreen first.

2. Knock Out Allergens.

Spring is lovely, but it does often bring allergies along with it. You can combat allergies by eliminating the dust that builds up in the winter. Focus on hidden corners, often-missed areas such as ceiling fan blades and dust bunnies hiding under furniture. Washing all your linens, including pillows, eliminates dust mites which helps your overall health. Go ahead and open the windows and let in fresh air – just consider plugging in an air purifier, too.

3. Lighten Up.

Spring is a great time to freshen up your diet. Start with your pantry, tossing out expired items and consider replacing overly-processed items with fresher options. Search online for new, healthier spring recipes. Learning to eat with the seasons means focusing on vegetables and fruit that are currently in season, such as greens, peas, asparagus, strawberries and more. Farmers markets featuring local produce usually open during spring months.

4. Clean Those Cabinets.

Now is the perfect opportunity to go through your medicine cabinet and get rid of expired medications and items you no longer use. Remember to use caution when disposing of medications. And while you’re at it, go through your makeup bag as well, tossing out old items that are past their prime.

5. Call Your Doctor

Get in the habit of scheduling wellness appointments and health screenings in the spring. By planning ahead, you can stay ahead of routine appointments such as teeth cleaning, mammograms, colonoscopies and more. Plus, by scheduling children’s physicals in the spring, you can beat the back to school rush.

6. Walk It Off.

Even if you have a regular exercise routine, adding a walk outside can do wonders for your health and well-being. In fact, walking can help lower your blood pressure and boost your immune system. And if winter has turned you into a couch potato, walking is a great way to become more active without overdoing it.