Although it’s shaping up to be a warm fall, these beautiful temperatures won’t last forever. While for many of us, a sunny 60-degree day is ideal for a workout, some of us will continue to exercise outside well into the winter. This begs the question, is cold weather exercise good for our bodies? Here are some of the effects of cold weather on our performance, from your chiropractors in Lincoln Park.
Greater Strain on Metabolism
As temperatures cool down, blood pressure increases as blood is taken away from the surface, and moves its way into our core. As the body loses more heat, it has to work harder to maintain a stable temperature. Glucose is used primarily for heat generation, before use for help with our muscles.
Reduced Efficiency
The colder it gets, the slower reactions take place. For our bodies in the winter, those parts furthest from the core cool down the most as they are losing most of the valuable heat. When exercising, our arm and leg muscles are adversely affected by falling temperatures.
Less Signal for Hydration
When you go for a jog on an 80-degree day, your sweat makes you feel thirsty and serves as a great reminder to replace the fluid you’ve lost. In the cold, you are more likely to become dehydrated.
Potential Increased Danger of Pulling Muscles
It is obviously important to warm up before exercise to prevent pulling muscles, and in the winter this is even more crucial. In cold temperatures, muscles cool down faster and take longer to warm in the first place, leading to an increased probability of injury and a visit to the chiropractors in Lincoln Park.
Successful cold-weather workouts can be done, but it’s important to keep some of these things in mind before heading out to exercise. For more information on exercising in the winter months, contact your Lincoln Park chiropractors at Chicago Chiropractic and Sports Injury Centers.
