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Five Ways to Warm Up on a Freezing Day

The advent of winter can lead to some bitterly cold days, as temperatures drop and the weather turns to ice and snow. Keeping warm on this type of day becomes essential, and not only for comfort reasons; in some cases, failing to warm up on a freezing day can result in illness through hypothermia for instance. Recognizing a few ways to stay warm can help avoid the negative consequences of a freezing day.

  1. Hot Drinks

    • Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are the most obvious candidates in the hot drink range for warming you up when temperatures plummet. Tea and coffee are especially potent in terms of producing a warming feeling, not only because they're served at high temperatures and are warming to cup your hands around, but also because they contain caffeine. This ingredient causes you to feel warm because it ups the blood flow reaching your skin, but reduces your body's actual heat, despite the warmth you feel. Better overall choices include herbal hot drinks.

    Clothing

    • If you're heading outside on a freezing cold day or even if you're stuck inside a freezing cold house, you'll likely benefit from putting on extra garments and layers to keep the cold out and keep you toasty. Remember that you'll be losing as much as 30 percent of your body heat via your head, so keep that covered with a hat, while a scarf and gloves protect the neck and hands respectively. For especially cold weather, try earmuffs or even a full-face balaclava, or just add more layers underneath your coat.

    Warm Water

    • If you've just come into the house from outside on a bitterly cold day, the chances are that your fingers --- and possibly your toes too --- will feel frozen. One way to cure this is not to just wait around for them to heat up, but to immerse the chilly digits in warm water. Because water is 25 times quicker at conducting heat than air is, you'll soon find the life returning to your fingers again.

    Running

    • You might not be too keen to face the cold outside, but one way of getting your body warmed up is to head out and do some exercise. Running around the local park, for example, is easy enough to organize and you might even be able to get your friends or family to do it with you. You will need to prepare properly for the weather, though. Start by wrapping up warmer than you would for a typical run, and also remember to perform warm-up activities for between 10 and 15 minutes longer than usual because your muscles will need more time to shift into gear.

    Snuggle

    • If your own home isn't keeping you warm enough, it's time to break out the blankets and other equipment that will allow you to snuggle up. You might want to invest in a hot water bottle for nighttime, or an electric blanket, but don't utilize both at once to avoid any risk of danger. Bed socks and pajamas in winter fabrics, like flannel, will assist you in staying snug as you fall asleep, too.

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