10 simple rules of behavior in cold weather

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

"Frost and sun, a wonderful day" - wrote the classic, sitting in the warmth:) If you decide to go for a walk in the cold season, here are some simple but vital rules so as not to catch cold in winter and get the maximum positive impressions from winter walks.

1. Dress warmly, but in a way that is mobile

This rule, by the way, applies not only to adults, but also to children. Caring grandparents, who grew up at a time when there were no thermal underwear, light down jackets and special winter clothes and shoes for tourists and athletes, firmly believe that in winter a person (adult or not) should resemble a head of cabbage: one hundred clothes, a maximum of fasteners, a scarf over a jacket, covering the nose and mouth (which, by the way, is not true: the exhaled vapor immediately condenses on the nostrils and face, the wet skin freezes - and a cold is ready). Winter clothing should be warm, but lightweight and not restraining. If your child or you yourself will resemble a knight, clad in armor, who needs outside help to turn or bend over, then you will only sooner freeze.

2. Choosing the right footwear and headgear is critical

Both headwear and shoes should not get wet from snow, should protect from frosty winds, should not accumulate static electricity, which only tires the body, but does not give heat (and besides, it begins to seem as if your "skin itches" from such materials which, when rubbed and worn for a long time, accumulate a large amount of electrostatics). The sole of the shoe should be stitched and thick enough to give you less contact between the sole of your foot and the cold snow and ground.

3. More layers between your body and frosty air

If it is not possible to insulate with natural materials or special clothing for extreme sportsmen, truckers or tourists, “layering” can become a compromise. Several different types of clothing, worn on top of each other, create additional layers of air that prevent your body from cooling down in the cold.

4. Thermal underwear and natural materials

If you have a long road in cold weather, sports or jogging in the open winter air - be sure to choose the right thermal underwear. Also remember that even if your top is made of synthetic materials, the lining and filling must be at least 80% natural. Otherwise, even with active movement, you will freeze quickly enough.

5. Less synthetics

No matter how beautiful a synthetic scarf is, no matter how bright a synthetic jacket or gloves are, they will not warm you in real frost. Genuine leather, sheepskin, natural fur, natural wool, flannel, cotton, cotton denim (not stretch, in which more than half is a synthetic polymer base) - these are materials that truly warm and protect in cold weather. The only compromise is the special thermo-fabrics and lining for down jackets and insoles with a heat-reflecting effect.

6. Movement is life

Do not stand in one place, like an enchanted one: even walking even warms up better than contemplation of winter beauties, shifting from foot to foot. If you find yourself at an open-air concert, New Year's celebrations or other places of mass gathering of people in the open-air - do not forget that periodically you still need to walk, jump, move, and not just stand in the crowd and stare around.

7. We breathe only through the nose

If you feel that you are short of breath or out of breath, it is better to stop for a while, walk slowly in one place. But don't breathe through your mouth: cold air, before it gets warm, gets straight into your trachea, bronchi and the tops of your lungs. Grabbing tracheitis, bronchitis and pneumonia in cold weather is a simple matter if you breathe incorrectly. This is especially true for those who like jogging, skiing, snowboarding or other active winter sports in winter.

8. You can get warm with a few simple movements

Quickly clench and unclench the hand into a fist, first one, then the other, then both together. And so 20-30 times at intervals. Next, we make a “step in place”, rolling the foot from heel to toe, but without lifting it off the ground and at the same time trying to put a load on the shins and calves. Do the same 20-30 times at intervals between sets. Your arms and legs work like a pump, pumping blood between your limbs, heart and body. Blood circulation and blood flow to all parts of the body are a way to keep warm if they are frozen, and warm rooms and a fire nearby are not expected.

9. Skin cream and hygienic lipstick

Frost does not spare the skin of lovers of winter walks. Even tough men who “don't dance” are not ashamed to use special hygienic protective cosmetics. This will keep you from frostbite, flaky skin and chapped lips. This is especially important for those who are going on a winter expedition or a hike for several days.

10. No alcohol outdoors

The most dangerous misconception is that you can "warm up" with 50-100 grams of alcoholic beverages if you feel that you are cold. Even if we consider the healing properties of vodka, whiskey and wine, then it is better to practice them after a person gets into a warm room. In the cold, an already frozen person who is gradually tired and has lost the initial mobility and level of pressure in the circulatory system, under the influence of alcohol, tends to move even more slowly, or even feel drowsy at all (the latter is generally deadly). In addition, under the influence of alcohol, winter amateur athletes are often drawn to feats. Breaking an arm and leg, twisting a neck or getting an open wound by falling from a height or falling into a snowdrift with branches, stumbling on a walk or knocking over something is not the best solution. Alcohol in freezing weather outdoors is not your friend, but your worst enemy. Leave the glasses, shot glasses and spirits aside until warm.