The Benefits of Keeping Warm & Active Throughout the Colder Months
nesh
adjective
BRITISH dialect
(of a person) weak an delicate, in particular in being susceptible to the cold: ‘It was nesh to go to school in a topcoat.’
Many of us have been accused of being 'nesh' when we are susceptible to feeling the cold when the temperature plummets. But did you know that cold, wet and windy weather may be making our aches and pains worse?
Although studies to date have been unable to make direct correlations between cold weather and pain, a 15-month study by the University of Manchester residents reveals interesting results.
The study involved more than 13,000 UK residents living with arthritis and other chronic pain conditions. They recorded their daily pain intensity within a smartphone app and GPS locations would link them to local weather data.
Participants reported to have experienced more pain on days with higher humidity, lower pressure and stronger winds (in that order).
Researchers state that their study validates the beliefs of 75 per cent of people living with long-term pain that the weather does indeed impact their pain levels.
The cold weather can cause the blood vessels to constrict in our hands, arms, feet and legs to keep our body's core temperature higher – so that our vital organs can keep doing their job.
There is some science that states 'reduced temperature may cause thickening of the synovial fluid.' Synovial fluid is inside the capsule of every joint and washes around each time we move to keep the joint nourished and healthy.
Due to the cold weather, we tend to move around less and want to hibernate – I know I do! This reduction in activity reduces overall joint mobility, muscle strength and flexibility.
We are all aware of how our posture changes. Our shoulders come up around our ears and we tend to move more stiffly, not just due to the cold but also the extra layers we are wearing too!
This means that the exact muscles that we want to work posturally switch off changing the loads throughout our body and cause us to move differently.
I think we all feel this cold, and often grey weather can reduce our mood. This can have a knock-on effect to change our perception of pain causing our discomfort and pains to be magnified.
So, what can we do to help ourselves?
Dress our trunk with extra layers to help our limbs to stay warmer and wear additional socks or gloves to keep hands warm. There are heat pads that can be worn close to the body or clothes that provide heat too.
Stay active. We may feel reluctant to to get up and exercise but it really does help. Exercise raises the core temperature of our body, mobilising our joints, keeping muscles strong and helping us to manage our weight. Just 15 minutes of daily exercise can make the world of difference. Those magical endorphins (our body's natural painkillers) which are released when we get active, make us far more positive – and motivated too.
Make sure that you eat the right food and sleep well. Fuelling your body effectively makes sure that it works as efficiently as possible. The NHS recommends Vitamin D supplements during winter months when we don't get the same amount of sunlight as during the summer (see below link).
Stay snug, active and warm this winter!
