Winter isn’t a time you would normally think about being outside too much, and that makes sense – it’s cold, it often rains (or even snows), and the lure of being inside under a blanket with the heating on or perhaps a roaring fire is compelling.
But what about your backyard? Could you be using it even during winter? Should you be using it even during winter? Although you may not think so at first, it could be a good thing to get outside a little more. With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why you need to use your backyard in winter.
Fresh Air And Vitamin D
Spending time outdoors, even in winter (and perhaps especially in winter), will give you plenty of health benefits to enjoy, and it could even help to stave off a cold or a winter flu bug, which has to be a good thing. That’s because exposure to fresh air helps to strengthen your immune system, ensuring your body can fight back against sickness. On top of that, breathing in fresh air can reduce stress and boost your mood, helping with your mental health as well.
Then there’s the vitamin D you can get when you’re outside more. Most people don’t get enough, and you can top up your vitamin D by getting some more sunshine (safely, of course). Although the sun might not be around so much during the winter, if you can get ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure in your backyard each day, you’ll improve your health dramatically.
Winter Fun
Do you or the rest of your family get bored over the winter period when you ‘have’ to be inside a lot more than at other times of the year? If that’s the case, you can use your backyard to have some fun and make sure you’re not bored anymore.
From building snowmen to having snowball fights (if the weather allows) to making a makeshift ice rink or even getting hot tub cleaning experts involved so you can relax in the hot tub on a chilly winter’s evening, you can have all kinds of fun outside even if it does happen to be winter. You might not be able to do the same things as you can in summer, but there are many winter activities that your yard would be ideal for, including the ones we mentioned above.
Get It Ready For Spring
While winter might not quite be the right season for planting flowers or vegetables, it’s a great time to work on other gardening and landscaping projects to ensure your outside space is ready for spring when you can start your planting.
Some of the things you should do in winter include pruning trees, cleaning and weeding your flower beds, and planning what plants you want for when the weather gets a little better. The more preparation you put in during winter, the easier it will be in spring because your backyard will be ready for you to start planting right away.