Three Major Risks of Outdoor Exercise in Cold Temperatures

Hopefully by the time you read this, Scarborough won’t be colder than Mars, as it was in last week’s deep freeze.

For those who like to get outside year-round for exercise, colder weather doesn’t necessarily mean they should stop or reduce their activities.

But when temperatures drop below freezing, as they have been so far in 2015 for Scarborough, major health risks arise when exercising outdoors.

It is important to be aware of the risks and to know that each one increases as temperatures decrease.

1. Frostbite – When your body is exposed to cold temperatures, it goes through a number of automatic responses to protect itself and your core body temperature.One response is to draw blood away from the surface of the skin, which increases your risk of frostbite, especially in body extremities like your nose, ears, hands and feet.Signs of frostbite include a stinging sensation and/or numbness in the affected area(s).
2. Hypothermia begins to set in if your core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. In hypothermia, your body moves blood to your vital organs, including your heart and brain, which further reduces blood flow to other parts of your body, including your muscles.Symptoms of hypothermia include intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of muscle coordination and easy fatigue.
3. Heart Attack – As it takes blood away from your skin and extremities, your body also increases your heart rate and blood pressure, both of which increase your risk of heart attack.Heart attack symptoms include pressure and/or pain in the chest; shortness of breath; pain or discomfort in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw or stomach; and cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.

How to Reduce the Risks

1. Dress Properly. Wearing the right clothing for cold-weather exercise helps to reduce all the risks. You should have at least two layers of clothing and three if there are high winds or precipitation. The layer closest to your body should get moisture away from your skin, the second layer should be made of fleece or cotton to provide warmth and an outer layer should keep moisture out and help to prevent wind from penetrating your clothing. Also, minimize the amount of exposed skin by wearing gloves, neck protection and head cover.
2. Pay Attention to Your Body. Cold temperatures reduce your body’s ability to feel pain. Any sign of the symptoms listed above, or any other sensations that don’t seem right, must be taken seriously and addressed as soon as possible. If you suffer chronic pain or ongoing ‘twinges’, you may feel better when you exercise in cold weather, but you shouldn’t push yourself any more than you do in warmer temperatures.
3. Stay Close to Home. If you experience any of these symptoms during cold weather exercise, you should get indoors into warmth as soon as possible.

To learn more ways to keep fit in winter and reduce your risk of injury, please visit HealthMax Physiotherapy’s Scarborough Clinic, Contact Us, or call us at 416-431-4000.