There are those who think that doing outdoor sports in winter can favor the development of colds or colds. However, the reality is that bodily activity turns on the inner “boilers” and increases the production of endorphins. These are hormone-like substances that induce feelings of euphoria and well-being, and enhance the effectiveness of the immune system against viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory disorders.

Those who run can do so with a smile and feeling the heat generated by their body, while other people walk warm and shrunk. In addition, in winter, fatigue appears as a result of the activity, not of having to endure the embarrassment as it happens in summer.

To avoid unwanted side effects – even the healthiest activity has them – you just have to take a few steps to adapt to the characteristics of the season.

1. DO WARM-UP EXERCISES AT HOME BEFORE GOING OUT

The winter season invites you to retreat. There is a tendency to decrease outdoor activities and people live more in seclusion. It is very good, but it is not an excuse to postpone until the arrival of good weather the regular practice of physical exercise. This is in winter as necessary and beneficial as the rest of the year and if anything offers added advantages. However, it is true that measures must be taken so that the body adapts to the cold and dryness of this season.

At low temperatures and in resting conditions, blood tends to concentrate into the body, reducing the temperature in the skin and muscles, as well as in the joints of the legs and arms.

This redistribution of body heat does not prevent you from exercising without risk even at temperatures of up to 10 degrees below zero, but do not fall into the temptation of wanting to warm up quickly.

If you start doing intense physical exercise in these conditions, performance is low and the risk of injury increases.

However, if the activity is started gently, progressively and with simple gestures, the muscles are heated by the production of energy and receive an increase in blood flow. It immediately improves the speed of response of the nervous system and consequently refines neuro-muscular coordination.

On colder days the heating can be done at home, so that once outside the perception of temperature will be about 10 degrees above the real one. Although the thermometer marks 5 degrees, we will feel as if they were 15, which is much more pleasant.

Body elasticity is also conditioned by outside temperature. As in cooking with butter, which melts in summer and hardens in winter, with cold body fluids become denser and muscles and tendons resist stretching.

A good heating also manages to reduce the viscosity and the body stops behaving as if it were a “trunk”. The preparation, of about 10 minutes, should consist of stretches and exercises that tone the muscles, such as jogging, jumping and movements typical of Swedish gymnastics with push-ups of arms and legs.

Although in winter it is necessary to take special care of the warm-up, the intensity and duration of the exercise session can be the same as in the warmer times of the year. In general, a minimum of two weekly sessions of half an hour to an hour and a half duration is recommended.

2. BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE AND HYDRATE WELL

It is widely believed that breathing cold air can cool the lungs with terrible consequences.

It is not as dangerous as they say to breathe cold air because it heats up before reaching the lungs. You just have to breathe in through your nose.

The truth is that the air begins to heat up when it enters through the nose and reaches the lungs at almost body temperature. However, the air gains heat and humidity by stealing water from the mucosa that lines the respiratory system, from the nose to the pulmonary alveoli, passing through the mouth, throat, trachea and bronchi.

From this route it follows that it is mandatory to inhale through the nose to favor air conditioning.

At rest the body is enough to breathe less than 10 liters of air every minute. During physical exertion, that volume is multiplied and, at medium intensity, a person of 70 kilograms can ventilate between 50 and 70 liters of air every minute.

The volume can reach up to 150 liters or more when the effort is maximum. Heating all this air costs the body a lot of water, water that reappears in the form of a cloud of steam every time we exhale.

As during physical exercise, we breathe more, we also lose an extra amount of fluid in this way. In winter you may not be as thirsty as in summer, but it is equally or more important to replace the lost liquid.

For this we can resort to fruits, juices and warm infusions that can be carried on top in a small thermos.

3. DRESS TO AVOID GETTING COLD OR HOT WHEN EXERCISING

An important detail that should not be forgotten is the wardrobe to exercise in a cool environment.

The clothes should be enough not to be cold and not so cold as to sweat excessively, which would be even worse.

Many sports have their corresponding winter clothing -a runner does not dress the same as a canoeist, a mountaineer or a skier-, however in all cases it is advisable that the main muscle groups and joints are covered.

Equally important is to cover “the chimney” (the head) through which the heat escapes, and the hands, the part of the body that costs the most to heat.

The scarf is not necessary and, except in extreme cases, should not cover the tip of the nose. The body has outside temperature sensors there. If it is deceived, it does not adapt successfully and a lowering of defenses may occur.

Sweat is one of the greatest dangers for the winter athlete: it soaks clothes, cools and cools us.

To avoid this, it is advisable that the garment that is in contact with the skin is made of cotton or, why not, of a sports technical fabric designed to expel water. On this garment you can wear a sweatshirt and above, only if it is very cold, a wide and light or breathable raincoat.

Wearing several light garments, one on top of the other, is a very good idea, since the space between them acts as an effective air chamber. The “onion style” allows you to put on or take off clothes so as not to be cold or sweat too much.

You can conclude the exercise in an interior space, reducing its intensity and performing the most appropriate stretches.

He takes a not too hot shower, which may be followed by a few seconds of cold water, and rubs the skin vigorously with a towel before getting dressed.

What should not be done is to walk with cold sweat on the skin because there may be a drop in body temperature that reduces immune resistance.

4. LISTEN TO THE BODY

Hidden under layers of clothing continues to be the body, which favors the oblivion to which it is so often subjected. No need to wait for the symptoms of a disorder to remember that it exists.

We can strive to be aware at all times of what happens to him: Is our breathing rushed or slow and deep? Does any tension build up in a particular part? Does it move harmoniously or trip over itself?

The proposals listed throughout this article help to feel the body, but there are many other ways to recover the connection in an active way: self-massage or couples massage, any physical therapy (reflex therapy, shiatsu, osteopathy …), dance, swimming, work in the garden or garden …

5. ADAPT THE DIET TO PROTECT THE BODY

In winter it is necessary to choose the right type of food so that the healthiest fatty acids predominate.

As it is not advisable to increase the intake of foods with a higher proportion of saturated fats – meats, dairy products, pastries – the extra winter ration can be achieved with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil – rich in monounsaturated fatty acids – and a daily handful of nuts, rich in polyunsaturated.

As for carbohydrates and proteins, the best sources to add a few grams to the usual rations are whole grains (oats, rice, wheat, rye …) and legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, soybeans…

It’s important to start your day with an energetic breakfast. It is ideal and easy to prepare a combination of muesli (with oat flakes and raisins) with milk (soy, almond, rice …), fresh fruits and yogurt.

You can add some “superfood” with concentrated nutrients: honey on a slice of bread, a teaspoon of royal jelly, pollen in yogurt or brewer’s yeast in muesli.

Finally, do not forget to consume a good portion of varied salad and seasonal fruit, especially citrus fruits and kiwis, for their contribution of vitamin C and flavonoids, which prevent colds and flu.

Traditional Chinese dietetics recommend hot foods from an energy point of view. For example, roots and tubers (carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips), celery, fennel, buckwheat, millet, figs, nuts…

He also points out that it is convenient to cook food and take it hot, because cold or raw acquire a cold character.

One way to add heat to any dish is to add spices such as ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, Chilli …

6. PREVENT COLDS WITH A NATURAL BOOSTER

Respiratory infections can force us to interrupt winter activity. To prevent them or reduce the intensity of symptoms, it is worth trying some proven natural remedies

Preventing colds and other respiratory illnesses is more effective than treating them once contracted. Tanning through outdoor activities is one way to strengthen defenses. Another, take medicinal plants or supplements that have proven effective.

ECHINACEA

Its properties make it a champion of prevention: it prevents flu, cold, pharyngitis, rhinitis, sinusitis and bronchitis.

10 to 20 drops of fluid extract are taken, diluted in a little water, two or three times a day before meals.

Other plants taken in infusion or dry extract can play a complementary action.

• Rosemary is a general tonic and antiviral.
• Thyme is indicated against irritative cough, angina and asthma.
• Sea buckthorn and rose hips have revitalizing effects.
• Eleuthero coccus or “Siberian ginseng” increases resistance to harsh conditions and lifts the mood.

VITAMIN C

The body cannot accumulate it, so it is advisable to ensure its daily intake.

Starting the day with a juice of freshly squeezed oranges is a way to ensure the dose and balance the winter diet with a seasonal fruit. Kiwis and raw red peppers are other excellent sources.

ZINC

Taking 25 to 50 mg of zinc as soon as the first symptoms of cold or flu appear can activate the healing process. It is also taken to prevent. If you catch a cold you have to let it mature, without trying to stop it with symptom-suppressing drugs.

In most cases, antibiotics are unnecessary and only serve to weaken the body’s defenses. Resting and drinking infusions and fruit juices is usually enough.

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