😤 Alexa, play “Lose Yourself”

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

📚 How’s that resolution to read more going? If you need a nudge, the BPL’s winter reading challenge just dropped and it’s basically a world-tour of authors, asking you to read books from six of the world’s major geographic areas. Check it out here.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Winter wonderland woes

• Budget cuts just dropped

• Boston’s Golden Globe W

Up first…

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Work out your bod, strengthen your brain

Checking off your resolutions isn’t the only reason to hit the gym this January: Exercise is one of the best ways to combat the winter blues.

So as we slowly inch away from the season’s shortest days, here’s how movement can help lighten our mental load:

🏋️ Exercise is just as great for your brain as it is for your body. In fact, it might be easier to list the ways that exercise doesn’t help stave off the winter blues. During exercise, your brain releases endorphins, a.k.a feel-good chemicals, according to Kristyn Fales, the director of personal training at Healthworks. But in many cases, exercise also releases tension in the body, energizes you, and helps you sleep, she said.

🌃 But all that good doesn’t come easy. Lacing up your sneakers when it’s 20 degrees and dark at 5 p.m. isn’t a breeze for anyone, let alone someone who’s already feeling low, which can “kill your urge to exercise,” said Dr. David Mischoulon, director of MGH’s depression clinical and research program. Luckily, even in the coldest and darkest days of the winter, getting the mental health benefits from exercise doesn’t require an hour-long workout.

👟 If you’re a newb, start with “bite-sized pieces” of movement. Thirty minutes, three or four days a week is a great goal, said Fales, but if that feels daunting, 10 minutes at a time is still a solid starting point (and still enough to reap the mental health benefits!). But if you’re strapped for time, Dr. Mischoulon suggests naturally melding exercise into your day: Walk part of your commute, take your morning coffee to go, or do a quick yoga video to wind down before bed. It still counts!

👫 For the more advanced, schedule your workout like a meeting. According to Fales, making an appointment — whether that’s a workout class or meeting up with a friend — is an easy motivator to get your workout in. And considering it might be just as dark and cold at 5 p.m. as it is at 5 a.m., pick the time when “your body is the most energized,” she said. Plus: There’s no shame in catering your workout to the time of day, i.e. picking yoga over a run if you work out later in the evening. 

🩺 Remember: Everyone is different. If you’re thinking about making a major intervention or have questions, always talk to a doctor or fitness professional. 

QUICK QUESTION

🏃 Do you usually exercise in the winter months?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

⛈️ We hope you enjoy the winter wonderland while it lasted. Because it’s probably not going to stick around. A wetter, warmer winter storm is expected to hit southern New England starting late tonight into Wednesday afternoon, bringing a little bit of snow, but mostly torrential rain (what’s new) and strong winds (up to 55 m.p.h. in Boston). The combo of all that rain plus the expected snow melt means peak conditions for some flooding (a flood watch is in place for most of the area) plus a near-certain untimely end for our winter vibes.

💸 New state budget cuts just dropped. Welp, it’s official: Gov. Maura Healey just announced $375 million in budget cuts for this fiscal year to close an unexpected $1 billion shortfall in tax revenue. MassHealth, our state’s Medicaid program, will get the biggest chop (but won’t impact anyone’s eligibility to apply) and the remaining $625 million will be covered by other (non-tax) avenues of increasing revenue. Healey admin officials seem eager to let us know that this isn’t too big of a deal, likening it to “belt-tightening.”

🧪 New COVID wastewater data is bad bad. The data is finally catching up with the current feeling that everyone and their mother is sick. Last week, there were 5,955 confirmed cases of COVID in the city, up from 2,121 in early November, and the number of RNA copies of COVID in wastewater aren’t looking too much better (take a look, it hasn’t been this bad since 2021). As far as expert advice goes, the classic proverbs hold true: Get vaccinated (it’s not too late!) and mask up if you’re feeling sick. 

🍔 Boston’s fast-casual scene is getting a swanky addition. If you work downtown, your lunch game just leveled up, because on Jan. 17, a Michelin-starred chef is bringing a new food hall, The Lineup, to The Connector. Chef John Fraser, whose accolades come from his time in NYC, will bring five new options to Boston’s lunch scene, from coffee and pastries to Greek food and pizza. Bonus: He’s also working on a full-on sitdown restaurant in the same space, coming this spring.

ONE LAST THING

Boston’s Golden Globe W

The Golden Globes host may have taken a cringey L with his bad jokes Sunday … But you know who came out with a major W? Dorchester native Ayo Edebiri. 

She won her first Golden Globe for female actor in a television comedy for her role on “The Bear” Sunday night (her first nomination, too!) Besides her big win, another highlight of the night came from her acceptance speech. 

After a truly giddy slew of traditional thank yous, she ended her speech by shouting out the ones who matter the most: Her managers’ and agents’ assistants, for, as she said, handing all of her “crazy, crazy” emails. 

You can watch the whole speech here. Her anxiety on stage is so real.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

📧 Thanks for reading! IMO, that thank you was deserved. Dealing with that inbox must be a full-time job in and of itself. 

🥯 The results are in: Looks like we’re tackling Boston’s bagel craze next month on B-Side certified! According to your votes, Rebelle Bagels is the spot that readers want to see us try most. One reader said: “This NY-er wants to know if these are good enough to be called bagels”.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].