Spring Forward – How Daylight Saving Improves Our Health

Hi everyone. Today, we have something interesting for you. If you live in selected countries in the northern hemisphere, daylight saving is upon you. While the value of this is controversial, our guest contributor has written about a few benefits that daylight savings can have. And so we thought we’d share it with you. Here goes:

The clocks spring forward this weekend, bringing us lighter nights and (hopefully) brighter days. Who doesn’t love jumping out of the sack when the sun’s pouring in? With the time change, we’ll lose an hour’s shut-eye, and a few of us will feel the slight shift in our rhythm on Sunday (thankfully, the day of rest!). Though there are a number of great impacts on our health that come from daylight saving. We take a look…

Safer Drivers

Although more accidents tend to happen in the first week after the time change due to drowsy drivers, other studies confirm that we’re safer on the roads after springing forward, thanks to the extra light that reduces car accidents from March until October.

Gym Hitters

We’re more inclined to want to hit the gym after work, rather than retreat to the comfort of our sofas to escape the cold. We’re also keener to head outdoors for some physical activity thanks to lighter nights and warmer climes. Outdoor exercise has already been proven to improve stress, increase Vitamin D, provide more energy and fight against a number of health issues.

Happy Hormones

The time change can help those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, which causes depression to worsen during the darker months. The longer hours of natural daylight help to lift the mood, whilst our tendency to get more active outdoors does wonders for our happiness levels. Good old endorphins.

Forty Winks

The sunrise that will start to show it’s face each morning helps us to wake up naturally, without the shrill of our alarm clocks. We wake up feeling more refreshed and start to fall into a more organised sleep pattern. That said, you’ll be tired on Monday. We waste more time at work “cyberloafing” (browsing the net or catching up on some TV at our desks) on the Monday after the clocks go forwards. A study has linked this drop in productivity to a lower quality of shut-eye the night before.

Getting Set For Summer

The start of Spring is when many folk set plans in place to get fit for the summer. This is a great time for Personal Trainers ready to coach the nation into shape. Whether you’re ​training clients at home​or out in the ​great outdoors​, the opportunities to grow your client base are bright.

Self-Love

Scientists have found people who spend more time outside, feel better about their body image and have higher self-esteem. There are ​many reasons​ why getting our dose of exercise in the great outdoors makes us feel good. Beautiful views, the sun on our faces and getting away from the hustle and bustle of a packed gym floor, to name a few. Though research has found a link between spending regular time outdoors and our perception of how we look. So let’s embrace the light and get out there! Don’t forget to shift your clock forward one hour at 1am on Saturday.

Thanks to our contributor for this guest article. And now for a note that comes along with it: Focus Training ​are one of the UK’s leading provider of Personal Trainer, Gym Instructor and Studio Instructor training courses and professional qualifications. We’ve been producing highly qualified fitness professionals for the past 15 years. So, it goes without saying, we have a passion for fitness, developing individuals who strive for career success in the health and fitness sector.

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Also published on Medium.