During the cold season, we are bound to keep warm or risk exposing ourselves to many health issues. That’s why it’s important to learn tips to keep our bodies warm throughout the cold season.
Besides, in addition to health risks, keeping warm is a basic need for all human beings because you can’t feel comfortable when your body is cold. Therefore, consider these tips to help your body keep warm whenever the weather is cold.
Be active
In addition to wearing warm clothing, you can keep your body warm by being active. Engage in activities that will keep your body physically active. If you are indoors consider activities such as jogging, skipping the rope, or lifting weights. You can even keep your house clean by de-cluttering, scrubbing the bathrooms and kitchen countertops, or any other activity that will keep you physically active.
You can also try out outdoor adventures such as cycling, running, or working on your kitchen garden. If you have children, this is also a great moment to spend time with them by participating in their games. However, if your area is experiencing super cold weather, you may want to avoid outdoor adventures completely lest you expose yourselves to health risks like frostbite.
Keep your bed warm
If the current beddings you’re using are light, then it’s time you exchange them with warmer beddings. When the weather is cold, you need warmer bedding to keep you warm when sleeping. You can even invest in an electric blanket if you want. The most impressive thing about electric blankets is that they keep you warm through the night and it’s inexpensive to run them.
Another way to warm up your bed warm is using a rubber water bottle to warm it before you get in it. Fill it with warm water then slip it under the sheets. The bottle will preheat your bed nicely and protect you from dealing with a cold bed when retiring to bed. You can also leave the bottle at the foot to keep your legs warm when sleeping.
Alternatively, get yourself a pair of flannel sheets. It’s what people who love themselves do! These sheets will never be cold when you get into bed even on the coldest nights. They’re made to retain your body heat throughout the day. Moreover, they become super soft after a couple of washes.
Choose what you wear wisely
One of the easiest ways to keep your body warm during the cold season is to cover your body with warm clothes. Leggings may feel comfortable but it’s advisable to dress in loose-fitting warm clothing in order to trap more of your body heat. Instead of a bulky sweater, go for lightweight outfits. The good thing about lightweight pieces of clothes is that it’s easier to remove them as the weather gets warmer.
Keep your feet warm
If your feet aren’t protected from the cold, then your entire body will feel the wrath. In short, you can’t keep warm if you don’t keep your feet aren’t warm. That’s why it’s important to have house slippers when indoors. They help to keep your feet warm. In addition to slippers, you need a pair of soft cozy socks to keep your feet toasty warm.
Also, remember to change your socks often. Your feet will sweat due to the warmth inside and the wetness will make your feet cold even though you’re layered. Try to go for wool socks to reduce excessive sweating of your feet. If you are heading outside, it can really help to insert foam liners in your boots to give your feet an extra layer of insulation against the cold earth.
Keeping your feet and hands warm will help keep your entire body warm even when the weather dictates otherwise.
Take a warm bath
After dealing with cold weather the entire day, the justest thing you can do to your body is to reward it with a hot bath or shower. You’ll not only feel relaxed but your body will feel warmer.
However, it’s also important to note that even though the hot shower will feel great for a moment; your wet skin is likely to get colder faster than you would have when your skin was dry. Thus, to protect your body from losing heat, make sure you use a large cozy towel to dry yourself out faster. Apply your usual skin oil then put on warm clothes including socks.
Cuddle up
Though only applicable to couples or people with intimate relationships, cuddling can help you warm up. Our bodies produce heat through the metabolic process and it’s released to the environment as we maintain our body temperature. However, when you increase skin contact, the chance to lose your bodies’ heat to the environment decreases. Plus the temperature under the blanket they’re both using warms up faster.
The importance of keeping war
So, why must you strive to keep your body warm? These are some of the illnesses you risk exposing yourself to if you don’t keep your body warm whenever it’s cold.
Cough
A cough is more than an annoyance as it can interrupt your normal daily life and sleep. It can leave you feeling exhausted and unable to conduct your typical daily duties. If untreated to escalate to a severe case of chronic cough, it can also lead to lightheadedness, vomiting, and in worse cases rib fractures.
Flu
Although the cold weather doesn’t necessarily cause a flu, you’re at more risk of getting a flu when the weather is cold and your body isn’t warm. You see, when the cold air enters the nose and upper airways, the flu virus often spread more easily. Your body’s ability to fight off viruses is drastically affected.
Chest infection
There is a very legit reason why many people complain about chest pains during the cold season. One of the main reasons why this happens is because cold weather causes blood vessels and arteries to constrict forcing the heart to work harder in order to pump oxygen-rich blood to the entire body. The constriction, as a result, causes chest pain and they can at times spread to other parts of the body such as the arms, shoulders, and neck.
Frostbite
If you expose your body to the cold weather to a point of your skin and the underlying tissues freezing, you risk getting a condition known as frostbite. Even though frostbite can be caused by direct contact with freezing metals, very cold liquids, or ice, cold weather exposure is the most common cause. If the clothes you are wearing don’t protect you against the cold weather, you can get frostbite.
Keep yourself warm
If the area you live in or you know you’ll be travelling to a cold area, then ensure you invest in enough warm clothes. Experts recommend layering up with several pieces of light clothes instead of one thick layer as the light layers trap the warm air better. You should also ensure you take at least one hot meal and drink to warm up your body. The house should also be kept warm by keeping the doors and windows closed.