The first snow storm of the year can be magical. Something about snow makes the world seem a little brighter and a little better.
However, the fun of snow definitely wears off. Before long, the snow turns to a mixture of slush and mud, and you start to envision a white sandy beach instead.
Whether you’re putting up Christmas lights or caroling with friends and family, spending time outside in the winter chill eventually makes you want to go home and snuggle up in bed.
These tips might help you resist that urge and enjoy outdoor holiday festivities for longer stretches of time:
1. Layer up
Rather than wearing one giant coat and hoping for the best, wearing multiple layers can help you better regulate your body temperature. According to REI, “Layering lets you adjust your body’s thermostat by putting on and removing items to maintain an even comfort level as conditions and your exertion levels change.”
REI emphasized that for optimal warmth in cold weather, it’s essential to have three coordinated layers of clothing:
- Base layer: Choose undergarments that will keep your skin dry. “Warm skin starts with dry skin, so your long undies’ job is to wick perspiration away from you,” REI reported.
- Middle layer: Your fleece or insulated jacket should retain as much body heat as possible.
- Outer layer: Your top layer needs to be water-resistant to keep you protected from the elements, including snowflakes.
2. Hot chocolate helps (sort of)
Although warm drinks are highly marketed in the winter season as a way to warm up from the inside out, Dr. Michael J. White of HCA Healthcare Houston and Envision Physician Services told Fox Weather last year about what’s really happening in our brain and body when we drink hot beverages:
“First of all, you have the effects of the heat on like your hands when you’re holding the coffee cup, and your body feels that heat,” White said. “You might feel the heat of the steam coming off the coffee and your body perceives that heat. As that warm fluid hits your esophagus and your stomach, your body really recognizes the heat.”
He added that, “You’ve got to think that most of your body is water. You’re putting a little bit of a warm fluid into it. So, it will increase your body temperature temporarily for a little bit of time.”
On a related note, a study published in PubMed Central found that a person holding a warm beverage was kinder and more welcoming compared to a person without one.
3. Stay active
Light physical activity generates body heat that can help keep the body warm. You can try lightly jogging or even dancing between houses while Christmas caroling to avoid getting too cold.
You don’t have to be a Turkey Trot family to benefit from exercising in colder weather. The cold weather shouldn’t confine you indoors or halt your physical activity.
Exercising during winter comes with several advantages, according to Edward-Elmhurst Health:
- Increased endurance: In colder temperatures, your heart exerts less effort, your sweating is reduced and you use up less energy.
- More fat burned: Exercising in chilly weather could lead to higher calorie burn, as your body uses energy to maintain warmth.
- A boosted mood: Routine physical activity can help safeguard against seasonal affective disorder, which is also called SAD. Managing or preventing SAD is possible with 30-60 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of time in the sun each day.