by Gabrielle Bauer Lifestyle ARE SNOWBIRDS HEALTHIER? The short answer? Yes. This special four-part series explains why. Why do people snowbird? (Yes, snowbird is now a verb.) e weather, of course. Stepping out in shorts and ip- ops, splashing in the ocean, hosting an impromptu barbecue on the back deck − these warmweather activities make life that much lovelier, especially during the winter months when Canadians who stay put wrestle with bulky coats and black ice. But there is another – and arguably more important – reason to embrace the snowbirding lifestyle: your health. Let’s start with this simple fact: more people die in the cold. Back in the 1950s, a Yale University professor determined that 13%more U.S. residents died in the winter than in the summer, and supporting evidence has accumulated since that time. All told, research suggests that humans have the lowest odds of dying when the temperature is between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. Surprising? Maybe not, when you consider the various ways in which a warmer climate can promote health. For one thing, viruses nd it harder to survive and spread from person to person in warmer air, leaving snowbirds less vulnerable to colds and us. e greater sun exposure in warmer climes prompts the body to produce more vitamin D, which boosts energy, strengthens bones and may o er some protection against cancer. And, like the pipes that carry water through our homes, the human circulatory system tends to work better in above-freezing temperatures. Warm-weather living melts away the barriers to physical activity, making it easier for healthy habits to stick. Amorning walk that feels like a chore, if not downright impossible, on a bone-chilling day becomes a special treat when paired with a warm breeze and swaying palm trees. As it happens, getting out and about not only works the heart and muscles, but has been shown to boost brain activity and creativity. A er a certain age, stepping outside in the winter becomes not just a chore, but a health hazard. As people age, their gait becomes wobblier and their feet lose sensation, especially if they have circulatory problems. Add icy sidewalks to the mix, and it’s no wonder that the winter months put older Canadians at increased risk of serious falls. Heading south before the ice forms sidesteps this very real danger. It’s not just that warmer is healthier: consistency matters. Take this study of 79 countries, which considered people’s “life satisfaction” in the context of weather – speci cally, how o en and how much the temperature veered from a baseline of 18.3 degrees Celsius. e greater the cumulative deviation, the study found, the lower the life satisfaction. By de nition, snowbirding removes a big chunk of deviation from the equation. Snowbirds themselves perceive their health as better than do their “stayer” counterparts. In a survey of seasonal migrants to Florida, more than 63% rated their health as very good or excellent, compared to just 49% of stayers. By the same token, almost twice as many stayers (22%) as snowbirds (12%) assessed their health as poor. In the rest of this series, we’ll take a deeper dive into the speci c health bene ts of winterless living. e next article will shine a spotlight on the heart and lungs; it is the third one on the musculoskeletal system; and it is the last one onmind andmood. Stay tuned and keep snowbirding. CSANews | FALL 2019 | 45
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