No guilt. Be happy!

With the arrival of winter, some active people feel guilty about not wanting to exercise. But, I am here to tell you that it's fine not to exercise in winter.

Winter is the Kidney season. It's the season to store energy. Plants store nutrients and energy in seeds and roots during the winter so that they can sprout, grow and bear fruit in the Spring. Nutrient-deficient seeds and roots don't produce strong plants next year. The human body is in tune with nature too. In winter we are supposed to be less active so as to store energy in the kidneys. Then, when spring comes, we will have the energy to be active again. 😄

So, no guilt, be happy! Happy to sit on a couch and read a book. Happy to go to bed early and get up late. These are the right things to do in winter.
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Excerpt from Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic （黃帝內經), the Bible of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chapter 2: The Art of Life Through The Seasons

"During the winter months all things in nature wither, hide, return home, and enter a resting period, just as lakes and rivers freeze and snow falls. This is a time when yin dominates yang. Therefore one should refrain from overusing the yang energy. Go to bed early and get up with the sunrise which is late in winter. Desires and mental activity should be kept quiet and subdued, as if keeping a happy secret. Stay warm, avoid the cold, and keep the skin covered. Avoid sweating. The theory of the winter season is one of conservation and storage. Without such practice the result will be injury to the Kidney energy. This will cause weakness, shrinking of muscles, and coldness; then the body loses its ability to open and move about in spring."