Exercise safely in cold weather

Go4Life shared that exercise has benefits all year, even during winter. But before you brave the cold, take a few extra steps to stay safe. Exposure to cold can cause health problems such as hypothermia, a dangerous drop in body temperature.

If you want to walk, ski, ice skate, shovel snow, or do other outdoor activities when it’s cold outside:

• Check the weather forecast. If it’s very windy or cold, exercise inside with Go4Life videos on YouTube, and go out another time.
• Also, watch out for snow and icy sidewalks.
• Warm up your muscles first. Try walking or light arm pumping before you go out.
• Wear several layers of loose clothing. The layers will trap warm air between them.
• Avoid tight clothing, which can keep your blood from flowing freely and lead to loss of body heat.
• Wear a waterproof coat or jacket if it’s snowy or rainy.
• Wear a hat, scarf, and gloves.

• Know the signs of hypothermia: Hypothermia is what happens when your body temperature gets very low. For an older person, a body temperature of 95°F or lower can cause many health problems, such as a heart attack, kidney problems, liver damage, or worse.Being outside in the cold, or even being in a very cold house, can lead to hypothermia. Try to stay away from cold places, and pay attention to how cold it is where you are. You can take steps to lower your chance of getting hypothermia.