Since March 2020, I have consistently gotten 10,000 steps per day. I made this decision to make sure I got outside and kept my overall health strong when the lockdowns were instilled. This amount doubled what I had previously been doing. Through the spring, summer, and fall I have been able to maintain this goal, but cold weather is now here. The next five months will be the true test of my commitment because you see Minnesota winters can be cold, snowy, and long. I also don’t handle cold well with an autoimmune condition that I have. My fingers turn white, numb, and sometimes purple when they get cold. As I have improved my health, it happens less often. I have decided to embrace these winters and prepare my body for the winter through cold adaptation.
In our modern world, we try to maintain a consistent temperature both winter and summer. This prevents our bodies from learning to adapt. Think about it, when indoors we pretty much are at a consistent temperature of 70 degrees or so. Let’s look at some health benefits from cold adaptation.
Benefits
Boost Sleep Quality: Current recommendations is to set your bedroom temperature between 60- and 67-degrees Fahrenheit. The cooler temperatures have been shown to help with insomnia and other sleep disorders. Unresolved sleep disorders can affect overall health including cognitive function and heighten the risk of kidney disease and diabetes.
Increase Brown Fat: White and brown fat are two types of fat that are stored in the body. White fat in large quantities can lead to obesity. Brown fat cells burn energy to produce heat, and by increasing your levels of brown fat you may have better insulin sensitivity, lower levels of circulating fatty acids, and lower levels of triglycerides. Cold adapting has shown to increase brown fat cells.
Shivering: One study found that 15 minutes of shivering in a cold environment had the same effect as exercising for an hour.
Cold showers have been shown to relieve depression, increase metabolism, improve circulation, and may help build resistance to common illnesses such as colds and flu. It has been found that cold water stimulates leukocytes which help fight infection.
Cold Adaptation Methods
Cold Showers: Taking two to three cold showers a week is recommended to attain these benefits. Start with short times and work of up to 5 minutes if possible.
Go Outside: Spend a few minutes outside without bundling up. I have started this process by standing outside when I let my dog out in the morning. While he does his morning business, I take in deep breaths, try to relax in the cold and not shiver. I am already finding that it is not as difficult as I thought it would be. That may change as the winter progresses, but I hope to build up my endurance.
Light Layers: It can be helpful to layer in a few light layers instead of one heavy layer. I find this helpful when walking outside in the cold. I can easily remove layers if I get too warm or want to remove layers to cold adapt for a few minutes and then put the layers back on. I always have my head, neck, and hands covered.
Extreme cold adaptation can be cryotherapy or plunging into a hole drilled in frozen over lakes. This is not the level of cold adaptation I am referring to, and I would not suggest this for most individuals.
There are individuals who should not practice cold adapting without first consulting with your healthcare provider. If you are feeling sick, have been recently released from the hospital, are immune compromised, are at risk for a heart event or stroke, elderly, or small child, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COLD ADAPT!
In our modern world, we often impede our body’s ability to adjust to varying temperatures. By exposing yourself to various cold-temperature situations, your body can be acclimatized to the cold weather. Just as gardeners “harden off” plants in the spring before planting outside, we can prepare our bodies for the colder months.
I am going to embrace winter here in Minnesota, we are blessed with four beautiful seasons, and my intention is to enjoy each day that we have.
Do you embrace the colder weather, or do you hibernate all winter? What is your favorite cold-weather activity? Will you prepare yourself for cold weather by trying any of these techniques?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
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