The winter weather can be particularly unforgiving, especially if one wasn’t/isn’t well prepared. Keeping warm is the first thing you should consider before and during winter. Here are a few tips and tricks to stay warm and comfortable this winter.
Prewarm Your Clothes
Although the house/room might be warm (thanks to the central heater), your clothes might not be. It is pretty common to find your clothes a bit colder, especially in the mornings.
Prewarming your clothes before putting them on might be just what you need to avoid punishment. One of the best and most economical ways to do this is to place the clothes next to the radiator or inside the boiler cabinet. The heat from the radiator or boiler will warm the clothes up, making them more comfortable to put on.
Get Some Quality Thermals
Although layering up might help keep you warm, there are times when you’ll want to protect yourself from the extreme cold outside. This entails ensuring your woolen sweater, jackets, and/or socks aren’t directly exposed to the extreme weather.
What better way to keep them warm than putting on thermals? Therma tops and pants are an absolute must for the cold weather. These, like other garments, will need to be kept clean after every outdoor excursion, a reason you might want to learn how to clean/wash them. Washing them right will see them last many more winters too.
Consider Fleece Leggings
Fleece leggings are a must-have, especially for those who love rocking skirts, even during winter. Fleece-lined leggings are also the perfect alternative for thermals in different settings.
The best thing about leggings is that you can have a pair under your jeans to help keep you warm while outdoors and indoors too. They are, therefore, a must-have if looking to stay warm without depending on the room heater.
Invest In Hand Warmers
Although old-school, you can never go wrong with a pair of hand warmers. They keep you warm during winter nights and days out, especially when you have to go outdoors.
With Christmas just around the corner, getting yourself a pair of quality hand warmers would be wise. While there are plenty of options (and colorful ones) online, you can also make yours. There are plenty of tutorials on making hand warmers with readily available materials.
Ensure Every Inch Of Your Body Is Covered
Leaving any part of your body exposed to the cold weather (well, except the eyes) increases the risk of losing the much-needed body heat. Layering up to the very last inch is the key to staying warm despite the biting cold. This means investing in everything from warm hats, neck warmers and gloves.
Increase Your Intake of Healthy Fats
Enjoying foods rich in healthy fats is considerably healthier and best for the cold season. Your body needs these fatty foods to provide an insulating layer under the skin and raise your blood pH levels. A higher pH level gives the body leverage over cold weather.
Make Use of Your Thermal Flask
A thermos full of hot chocolate, tea, coffee, or even porridge is always welcome, especially as the temperatures drop. Sipping the coffee/chocolate in the house will warm you up from the inside, keeping your internals warm and comfortable for even longer.
Holding the mugful of hot coffee, tea, or soup will also help warm your hands too, hence recommended. Keeping the hot beverages in the flask means enjoying their sweetness for hours without having to re-warm on each refill.
Stay Physically Active
The secret to keeping warm and energetic during winter is to stay physically active. Engaging in activities that will keep you off your feet, such as going for a walk, jogging, doing warmups, and doing simple exercises, will help keep the blood warm and pumping.
Even the slightest movements, such as dancing to your favorite tunes, are enough to keep your body warm. If possible, consider hitting the treadmill for an intensive but fruitful workout. The workouts will help keep you fit and looking good as well as warm too.
Drink Lots of Water
Staying hydrated is also an excellent way to keep warm and healthy even when the weather is cold. Just because you aren’t thirsty or sweaty doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the recommended 8 glasses of water every day.
Unknown to many, it really is during winter that you should take more water. This is because water has higher heat retention, helping you stay warm despite the extreme temperatures. Drinking plenty of water before heading out during this time of the year is also crucial. The cold, dry air outside can be particularly draining and tasking on your skin and body.
Cover Your Head (Wear A Hat)
A proper hat should come in handy when heading outdoors. Although you might want to wear something more fashionable, these will not protect your head and blood vessels from the extreme cold. Covering up with a Marvin hat, for example, will help reduce heat loss from thin skin.
Although you might not know this, blood vessels in the heat are unbelievably closer to the skin’s surface, so you should keep them protected from extreme and freezing weather. Ensure the better part of your head is well covered, and your ears are too.
See more here about keeping warm this winter and keeping your boiler working efficiently.
