Your body does amazing things to acclimatise to the cold. Blood vessels constrict to reduce warmth leaving the body through the skin, which increases blood pressure and reduces oxygen to the heart. This increases the load on the heart so more energy is required. The affinity for oxygen to bind to haemoglobin in your blood increases in colder temperatures. Our body periodically will shunt oxygen supply to your extremities to conserve warmth and shivering will help your muscles to generate heat to warm you up.
Exercise outdoors
Reduce intensity
Dress appropriately
Avoid big changes in temperatures
Eat hearty warm foods
What are the health benefits of cold?
- Increases in endorphins
- Increase in white blood cell count
- Increases in testosterone and oestrogen
- Enhanced body’s response to insulin
- Improves sleep
- Enhances detox pathways