How to warm up the body during frosts? [WE EXPLAIN]

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A wave of bitter frost has come over Poland. Although we live in a temperate climate, the following winters weaned us from snow and freezing temperatures. We will definitely want to spend the first real winter weekend in the fresh air, so we would like to remind you that cooling down the body can be dangerous. Fortunately, even when chilled to the bone, we have a large selection of methods for an effective and healthy warm-up.

1. We can warm up by using yoga breathing techniques – tummo or uchjaya breathing
2. Dr. Paweł Lewek: – The hot fluid gives off heat, which will be distributed throughout the body through the blood
3. According to Dr. Left-hand movement is the best way to warm up effectively. What about alcohol? The expert explains whether percentage drinks are a good choice in frost
4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

How does cold affect the body?

Body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls all vital functions. The current body temperature is constantly compared to the optimal temperature for us – usually between 36,1 degrees C and 37,2 degrees C. When it falls below the optimal value, the hypothalamus sends a signal to generate heat.

When we stay in the cold for a long time, the temperature of our skin – fingers and toes, arms and forehead – may start to drop because the cold air “steals” our warmth. So there is a danger that we will cool down to such an extent that our internal temperature will also drop. A cooling down of the body can lead to numerous ailments, including colds, pneumonia and arrhythmias.

1. Find out more: What happens to the body in severe frosts? The first symptoms after an hour

How to warm up? Wear “on the bulb”

In frosty weather, it is best to dress in layers. Subsequent layers of clothing retain heat and prevent sweating (which makes us feel cold). U.S. Department of Labor safety and health officials suggest wearing at least three layers of clothing. The inner one should be made of wool, cotton or a special synthetic that will effectively absorb moisture. The middle one is woolen or synthetic clothing that acts as an insulator. On the other hand, the outer layer is supposed to protect us from wind and snow and to provide proper ventilation.

You should also remember that the clothes are not too tight as they can obstruct the proper blood circulation necessary to keep the limbs warm. And let’s not forget about the hat, the head may freeze too.

– The clothes for the layering should be arranged in such a way that we feel thermal comfort, that is, we should be warm no matter what we do – says Dr. Paweł Lewek, family doctor from the Le-Med clinic in Łódź. “And when it gets too hot for us to take something off as quickly as possible to maintain this comfort.” If we sweat in the cold, it may result in a cold.

Reach for a hand warmer

Hand and foot warmers are inexpensive and available at most hiking or online stores. They generally contain iron, water, salt, activated carbon, and the mineral vermiculite which generates heat when exposed to oxygen. Activating the heater usually consists in unpacking it or twisting it. This triggers a chemical reaction that produces heat as a by-product. A heater in every pocket and in every shoe will ensure them even in the worst frost.

Interestingly, you can make it yourself. For this we need two plastic bags with a zipper, calcium chloride granules for melting ice and water. When water combines with calcium chloride, it causes a chemical reaction in which heat is generated.

If you don’t trust chemistry, you can always put your hands under your armpits. The armpits are the heat nodes of our body that will instantly warm up the fingers that are chilled in the cold.

How to warm up the body? Apply techniques borrowed from yoga

Instead of puffing your hands, you can try to concentrate on your breathing as how we breathe has an impact on keeping the body warm. The technique of “breathing in a vase” “is derived from yoga of mental warmth (tummo), and whoever masters it can raise his body temperature by himself.

“Research shows the effectiveness of this technique,” says Dr. Laura Stix, an internist and hypnotherapist in Ontario, Canada, especially for the fingers and toes.

How to “breathe in a vase”? Begin with a deep breath, hold your breath, and contract your abdominal and pelvic muscles so that the lower abdomen becomes a gently rounded vase. You can help with visualization by imagining the warmth filling your body.

In 2013, a study of people practicing “vase breathing” was carried out and it turned out that in a limited time they could raise their body temperature to 38,3 degrees C.

A simpler way to fight frost is through another yoga element, the uchjayi (“victorious”) breath which warms the body from the inside while massaging the internal organs.

To perform an uchjaya breath, you must close your mouth, pinch the back of your throat, slowly inhaling and exhaling through your nose. When the muscles behind and below the throat tighten slightly, a peculiar sound is produced when breathing, compared to the way we pronounce the letter “h” or when we breathe on a glass. It is worth trying, because due to the properties that improve the respiratory system, this technique has been included in the training program of athletes.

Diet for frosts. Drink something warm, eat something fatty

A hot drink or soup makes it instantly warmer. However, the warming drink must not be too hot to avoid thermal shock. Teas or herbal infusions with the addition of lemon, honey, raspberry juice or ginger will be effective.

“Drinking tea or a hot drink does not change our body temperature,” says Dr. Laura Stix. “But the receptors at the back of the throat sense the hot fluid and make us sweat.” In addition, a warm cup in your hands will warm your fingers, and the steam will help warm up your face.

Dr. Stix also emphasizes the power of suggestion: “It has been found that some of the warming effect of drinking a hot drink is due to the belief that it warms you up.

If you stay in the cold for a long time, help yourself with food and don’t worry about calories – you need them to keep warm.

‘Every time we eat something our body produces some heat,’ explains Dr Stix. – The greatest determinant of the thermogenic effect of food is its calorific value. Given that, the best source of calories is fat. One gram of fat provides 9 calories, and one gram of protein or carbohydrate provides only 4 calories.

– It’s good to warm up from the inside, for example with warm tea, hot broth or other soup – says Dr. Lewek. – The hot fluid will give off heat which will be distributed throughout the body through the blood.

Dr. Lewek adds that if we have a choice of a warm drink or soup and a warm meal, it is better to start with liquids. The heat from the fluids dissipates faster because the fluids absorb faster.

– Before we digest food, some time has to pass – adds Dr. Lewek. – And the body spends energy on digestion. So it is better to provide him with energy that he can distribute quickly.

Does alcohol make you warm?

Alcohol makes you feel warm throughout your body, but it does not actually raise the temperature. On the other hand, drinking alcohol can distort the image of the ambient temperature and negatively affect our body’s ability to thermoregulate.

— Alcohol produces a feeling of warmth that results from vasodilation – explains Dr. Lewek. – Besides, after drinking it, the pressure drops for a moment, and when it stops working, the pressure rises again and we may feel even more chilled, so the warming effect is apparent. Alcohol does not warm you up because it does not provide the body with heat that it can use up. It does provide calories that the body will convert into heat, but it takes time and is not so effective.

– Also, grandma’s method of rubbing with spirit has no scientific basis – says Dr. Paweł Lewek. – Personally, I would not recommend it, because, yes, rubbing causes heat, but it cheats the body more than it generates heat for longer.

1. See also: What will happen to your body if you drink alcohol every day for a month?

Ways to warm up in frost. Movement is the best

Exercise increases blood flow and makes us warmer. Movement is the key to thermal comfort when we’re outdoors. The point is not to get tired, especially without warming up your muscles first, but to try to maintain normal blood circulation. In order to prevent a drop in body temperature, it is enough to walk faster, for example. Running in extreme temperatures can worsen your coordination and increase your risk of injury.

While normal blood circulation helps to raise your body temperature, intense cardio can lower your body temperature for a short time through sweating. A few quick hikes may be more effective in increasing your heart rate and circulation, which in turn will increase your body temperature.

– Movement above all, whether outside or at home – advises Dr. Lewek. – Movement is the best way to warm up effectively. Not only does it provide thermal comfort, but it is also healthy. It is always indicated. Conditions in which you are not allowed to move are very rare. Even after a heart attack or stroke, there are exercises that are worth doing to improve … or to generate some heat.

– I recommend rompers or jumping in place as a quick warm-up for non-disabled people – adds Dr. Lewek. – And while away from home, a short run or a brisk walk.

Are you cold Take a warm bath and change your clothes

Another way to raise the temperature is to take a bath. A hot shower also helps keep you warm, but specialists recommend immersing yourself in warm water so that it covers your chest. We can pour a few drops of essential oils into the bathtub, which will act as aromatherapy. An additional benefit of bathing will be the improvement of blood pressure, which in turn will affect the quality of sleep.

If you do not have a bathtub, a warming shower can also be turned into a ritual. First, pour lukewarm water on the legs, arms, abdomen, chest and neck. Then you need to gradually increase the temperature of the water. When we get warm, we lower the temperature again until the water becomes lukewarm. Such a treatment will not only warm you up, but also stimulate blood circulation.

However, if we enter the house in damp or soaked clothes, it is worth changing quickly. You can run the clothes dryer for five minutes to change clothes to dry and warm.

– We will definitely warm up quickly by sitting by the fireplace or next to the radiator – says Dr. Lewek. – These are obvious methods. Additionally, we can cover ourselves with a blanket and take a hot water bottle. Any such method of heating the body will work, but these are temporary methods. It is definitely better to warm up the body as a whole, so I would choose a hot shower instead of soaking my feet in a bowl of hot water.

If you heat your body with a hot water bottle or, for example, with a bottle of warm, but not too hot, water, keep it around the armpits, chest and back (in that order), as this is where the heat is best distributed.

– Generally warms e.g. capsaicin, a substance contained, among others in spicy peppers – adds Dr. Lewek. – It is used in patches for low back pain, back pain or muscle pain. Such patches can also be applied topically, because they really warm up, but the effect is limited. Warming up should be based on supplying the body with the heat energy it has lost.

Share the warmth

The nicest way to warm up is to share your body heat with another person. Warm breath and the warmth of a loved one will help raise the temperature too low.

– Hugging, for example on a teddy bear, is a very good way to warm up – suggests Dr. Lewek. – And what energy saving it is, because one person heats the other. Everyone who hugs immediately feels that they are warmer and more lively.

– Figuratively speaking, every human being is like a battery – notes Dr. Lewek – because thanks to metabolic processes it generates heat, which it later emits. He can hand them over to the environment or use them, e.g. by passing them on to someone else. If we hug someone, we pass on our warmth to them.

We already know such behaviors from infancy, because mums tend to cuddle their little ones to keep them warm. As humans, we have a code that cuddling is something positive and it is not only about warmth, but also about positive emotions.

– Endorphins are released, and you feel soothed – explains Dr. Lewek’s hugging mechanism. – In this way, we soothe young children, but we can also share our warmth with people with osteoarthritis and everyone who has limited mobility.

This may interest you:

1. Hypothermia – first aid
2. What are frostbite and how to deal with it?
3. Is sea water really that healthy? Expert translators

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