Keeping Warm - No electricity Required!

by Joy Kieffer

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Head, Feet and Hands - if you can keep these warm, your heart won’t attempt to keep your circulation concentrated near your body core. Did you know that there are little valves all along your veins that open or close to allow or restrict blood flow? Our bodies are amazing. When we are too cold, our heart will protect itself to survive, even if that means losing a limb! Since we want to thrive, and not just survive, we need to work with our bodies, not against them.

 

Here are things to wear to maintain body heat indoors or outdoors:

 

• Fingerless gloves

• Hats or keep your hoodie up

• Fuzzy lined boots or house slippers, alternating pairs if one becomes damp from sweat.

• Sweatpants, with leggings underneath

• Wool or wool blend socks, or two pair of socks layered

• Layer thermal undershirts, long-sleeved T-shirts, sweatshirts, fleece jackets, in that order

• Heating pads that can be warmed in the microwave along with your hot beverage. (Yes, I know - that’s electricity.)

 

There are (usually expensive) fabrics that perform best. Consider the less-is-more concept. It may be better to have one or two more expensive, high performance articles of clothing than a drawer full of clothing that doesn’t work. Under-clothing that wicks moisture is a good example. Even if you have to hand wash every day.

 

Exercise! Nothing warms better than exercise (or a hot beverage or soup.) Even mild exercise for a few minutes every half hour to an hour will help your circulation and get you warmer. Here are some sneaky ways to warm up with exercise:

 

• Press your heels against the floor and tighten your thighs for a few seconds repeatedly. Great for hamstrings and knees and wards off the stiffness of arthritis, too.

• Bounce your legs up and down while slapping your knees.

• Hug yourself, then expand your arms as far back as you can.

• Raise your arms straight overhead, then straight out, then back a bit.

• Look for an excuse to go to another room for an item - and if you forget why you went, then you have the bonus of going again!

• Plan times to get up and do a physical task. Spread out your chores with stationary work.