Many people love
to engage in various sports that take place outdoors during the winter months.
However, it is vital that you know how to keep yourself warm so that you don’t
become ill or suffer from frostbite. It is also important that you stay
hydrated as your will lose body heat if your body is lacking the right amount
of water to regulate your temperature.
Since you don’t
really know what the temperature is going to be like from one moment to the
next in winter, you just have to be prepared for it. While it may warm up
during the afternoon the temperature can rapidly dip in the morning and the
late afternoon. You will likely generate body heat to stay warm if you are
engaging in a winter sport that keeps you moving such as ice skating, skiing,
sledding, or ice hockey.
Dressing in
layers is a very important for you to stay warm during winter sports. There are
particular types of clothing that work well for various sports so pay
attention. You want to have three distinct layers of clothing – they base
layer, the under layer, and then the outer layer.
Underneath the
clothing wear a cotton under shirt which will allow your skin to breath. For
winter sports such as skiing you will want to wear thermal underwear and then a
snowsuit. Hats and gloves with thermal linings are very helpful too. Most of
the body heat a person loses is from their head so a hat is very important.
The boots or
shoes you use for a particular winter sport are very important as well. They
need to be designed to offer you plenty of traction as well as mobility. They
need to keep your feet dry and warm so you won’t suffer from frostbite on your
toes. There are special tennis shoes designed for running in the winter time
that will prevent you from slipping due to ice or snow.
Various types of
foods and drinks can help to keep you warm during winter sports as well. Soups
and stew are very nutritious and they will keep you warm. Hot drinks such as
coffee, tea, coca, and cider will help to warm you up as well. Enjoying these
types of foods will also serve to help you maintain your energy while enjoying
winter sports.
Pay close
attention to the signs your body gives you to warn that you aren’t staying warm
enough during winter sports. You don’t want to find yourself far away from
shelter and extremely cold. Knowing where you are at and where you can find
shelter from the cold is very important. Hypothermia can set in if you get too
hot while engaging in winter sports and then the sweat from the process makes
you cold. You will loose too much body heat this way so pay attention to the
physical abilities of your body.
Enjoying winter
sports is a great way to have fun and to keep your body healthy. However, it is
very important that you do everything you can to stay warm. Serious injuries or
death can occur if you aren’t prepared for the elements. Make sure you also
have a cell phone, food, blankets, and flares stocked in your vehicle. You
never know if you will get stranded driving to or from any type of winter
sports activity. You always want to be prepared. Make sure you have at least
one other person with you as well.
