Cold Weather Self Care

Nov 10
09:04

2011

Patrick Daniels

Patrick Daniels

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There certainly are many folks that only enjoy the summer months and despise anything to do with winter months. However, there are several other people that really enjoy and prefer the cold winter weather months including the great outdoors during this type of weather. This type of weather can easily dip into subzero temperatures and it is extremely important that the person stay safe and healthy during these extremes.

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There certainly are many folks that only enjoy the summer months and despise anything to do with winter months. However,Cold Weather Self Care Articles there are several other people that really enjoy and prefer the cold winter weather months including the great outdoors during this type of weather. This type of weather can easily dip into subzero temperatures and it is extremely important that the person stay safe and healthy during these extremes.

The out of doors can be very dangerous for the elderly and for young children. Of course, this is because these two groups tend to be frailer and have less ability to keep the warmth within their own bodies. Young people and elderly ones should only limit outdoor time to short increments and should always be near enough to a warm indoor location that they can make the transition to safety in just a few minutes. This helps especially because some times it takes them until the very last minute to realize that they are experiencing a crisis.

When spending time in the great outdoors during the colder weather, it is important to realize that everyone's tolerance is different and therefore it is not easy for anyone to judge how the weather might effect someone else. Factors such as normal body temperature and the amount of fat an individual has upon their body are factors that can significantly affect the way in which the outdoor temperature may affect each individual.

Planning to spend time in the cold means preparing in advance for the amount of time that you will be spending outside. This means of course, covering up as much exposed skin as possible especially focusing on extremities and other areas that can be highly susceptible to the cold. Keeping skin covered can significantly reduce the chance of getting a windburn or frostbite especially on the face and neck. To help cover these regions one should consider wearing a hat that not only covers the top of the head and ears but that also covers a large portion of the neck and face as well. Those that offer just two eye slits are usually best.

Time spent outdoors can be a great deal of fun but the better prepared you are the safer you will be. Take the time to prepare for the cold, to cover up and dress appropriately, and to stay hydrated. Taking just these small steps can make all the difference when it comes to cold weather safety.