SPORT AND COLD, A WINNING COMBINATION
With the arrival of the winter season, many people stop doing outdoor sports, scared by the low temperatures or for fear of catching a cold; nothing could be more wrong!
If done with due precautions, sporting activity in the cold is good for the body and helps the immune system.
WHY IS COLD SPORTS GOOD FOR THE BODY?
Let's start from an important element: living at low temperatures makes you burn more fat; when the body has to respond to the cold it begins to transform reserve fat into brown fat, to be burned.
Just being outdoors in low temperatures forces the body to burn more calories to maintain the right temperature.
To take it to the extreme, we can give the example of when you suffer a lot from the cold, with shivers and tremors due to the low temperatures; at that moment the body burns 5 times more calories than when it is warm.
This is also why continuing to practice physical activity in the cold further helps our body burn more calories and faster; it must also be said that there are some additional risks in doing physical activity in the cold, one above all that of possible muscular problems.
SPORT IN THE COLD, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM THANKS YOU
The immune system benefits from the cold for two important reasons:
Exposure to cold increases the number of white blood cells .
Exposure to cold reduces states of chronic inflammation thanks to its suppressive effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines (the messengers of the immune system) and increases the number of anti-inflammatory cytokines.
We all know that physical activity also helps fight stress; the production of endorphins is very important for the body since the 'feel-good hormone' is important for maintaining an internal balance and consequently also for fighting stress.
HOW TO DRESS WHEN DOING SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN THE COLD
The ideal, when facing the cold during sporting activity, would be to dress in layers.
Overdressing could prove to be a big mistake when exercising in the cold.
Sports activity generates a significant amount of heat, enough to make you feel much warmer than you actually are. The evaporation of sweat draws heat from your body and you feel cold. The solution is therefore that of clothing that can be taken off and put back on.
The ideal is to wear a thin layer of synthetic material, such as polypropylene, which does not make the body sweat and avoid cotton. Then add a layer of wool or fleece for insulation and top it all off with a waterproof and breathable outer layer.
In cold weather, blood flow is concentrated in the center of the body, leaving the head, hands and feet more exposed to the risk of frostbite. It is best to wear slightly larger than usual trainers that allow you to use thick thermal socks.
Better not forget a hat to protect your head or a headband to protect your ears.
WARMING UP ADEQUATELY HELPS TO AVOID MUSCLE PROBLEMS
There are many points in favor of the cold but there are also some potential risks: with low temperatures, muscle injuries become easier and more frequent. To avoid strains and injuries, 15 minutes of warming up gradually is enough.
It is better to avoid cold static stretching: better a short activation phase, such as a light jog for a few minutes, and then dynamic stretching exercises, which allows you to stretch the muscles with controlled movements close to those of the activity you are going to do.
