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Staying Fit in the Cold
With common sense, outdoor activity is enjoyable
Canada is a land of extreme weather, from sweltering heat in summer to bone-chilling cold in winter. However, there is no reason to stay indoors through our long winters. You do not need to lose the fitness and the joy of being active that you gain over the summer. Indeed, the cooler seasons may be the most beautiful time to be outdoors. Autumn brings changing colors, while winter features crystal-blue skies and fun activities like skiing, snowshoeing and skating.
Exercising outdoors, even in extreme cold, can be done and is even enjoyable if you use a little common sense. Think of winter activities as exercising in less heat than during warmer temperatures. Your body usually produces so much heat from exercise that you are likely to get and stay quite warm. However, you can also lose heat quite quickly due to the cold. Staying warm during exercise in the cold is really about balancing how active you are, wearing the right clothing, and taking precautions.
Breathing cold air
Most people have no problem breathing very cold air during exercise. This includes very heavy exercise such as cross-country skiing. The nose and airways are very good at warming the air. Even very cold air is warmed to nearly normal body temperature by the time it reaches the more delicate lungs.
The main exception may be asthma. Cold air can trigger asthmatic events for some people. The same is true for those who have what is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Here, heavy exercise can make muscles around the airways react, so breathing becomes more difficult. Wear a light bandana, scarf or mask to help warm and add moisture to cold air before it reaches your lungs. Another way to reduce the chance of breathing problems is to slowly warm up before beginning heavier exercise. Not only is this better for your body as a whole, it also helps your lungs get used to the extra work that they are being asked to do.
Wind chill
Wind chill is the biggest risk when exercising in the winter. Minus 10 C in calm air may not feel too cold, but 0 C in a strong wind can feel extremely cold. Wind greatly increases the rate of heat loss from your skin. Since you lose body heat much faster, you must take extra care.
You can avoid or lower the risk of wind chill in the following simple ways.
- Avoid exercising in open places like open fields. Instead, choose places with tree cover that helps block wind.
- Remember that wind chill is not just the speed of the wind. It is also how fast you are going. Rather than riding a bicycle out on the open road, consider riding your mountain bike in the forest and trails. There, you are more protected from wind and usually not going as fast. A similar strategy would be to snowshoe through trees rather than running on the road.
- Since you build up a lot of heat during exercise, you usually stay pretty warm while you are active. However, you lose a lot of heat when you stop. It can be even worse if you build up a lot of sweat in your clothing. Sweat can chill you quickly if you stop, and even more if you are out in the open and exposed to wind. The best plan is to keep breaks as short as you can, and in a sheltered place.
Wind Chill
The chart below adapted from ontarioweather.com is a quick reference of temperatures you may experience. You can also refer to Environment Canada weather links: Wind Chill Calculator
Winter Hazards: Canada’s Wind Chill Index
Air Temperature (°C) |
|||||||||||
Wind |
0 | -5 | -10 | -15 | -20 | -25 | -30 | -35 | -40 | -45 | |
| 10 | -3 | -9 | -15 | -21 | -27 | -33 | -39 | -45 | -51 | -57 | |
| 20 | -5 | -12 | -18 | -24 | -31 | -37 | -43 | -49 | -56 | -62 | |
| 30 | -7 | -13 | -20 | -26 | -33 | -39 | -46 | -52 | -59 | -65 | |
| 40 | -7 | -14- | -21 | -27 | -34 | -41 | -48 | -54 | -61 | -68 | |
| 50 | -8 | -15 | -22 | -29 | -35 | -42 | -49 | -56 | -63 | -70 | |
| 60 | -9 | -16 | -23 | -30 | -37 | -43 | -50 | -57 | -64 | -71 | |
| 0 to -10 Low |
-10 to -25 Moderate |
-25 to -45 Cold |
-45 to -59 Warning Level * |
-60 and colder Very Extreme |
| * warning levels vary by province and territory | ||||
Frostbite
Apart from getting too cold, the other big danger from wind chill is the risk of frostnip and frostbite, where your skin cells actually freeze. This is very painful and may cause permanent damage. Frostbite usually happens first in fingers and toes, and places exposed to a lot of wind like the nose, ears, and cheeks. Keep these parts of your body covered well and check on them when you are outdoors. The first sign of frostnip is usually a lot of pain, along with the area being very red and itchy. Normally, frostnip does not have a major risk of long-term damage. However, a bad case of frostnip can make it easier for that area to be frostnipped or frostbitten in future.
It is essential to be careful in the cold and avoid frostbite. In this condition, the skin becomes very pale due to lack of blood flow. Next, it becomes waxy and numb. Eventually the skin blackens as cells die. If you have any signs of frostbite, get treated in a hospital as soon as possible.
Choosing clothing
- Since the temperature is cold and the air moisture low, you may not feel that you are sweating heavily. However, you will sweat about the same amount as you would in hotter weather, as you build up heat during exercise. You will lose even more heat and water from breathing than you would in hotter conditions. Continue to keep drinking even if it does not seem as if you are sweating heavily.
- Be extremely careful if it is cold and raining. You lose heat through water 25 times as fast as air. (That is why a 15 C room feels not too bad, but a 15 C pool is very cold.) Being wet greatly increases the risk of your body temperature getting too low (hypothermia).
On cold wet days, consider doing something indoors instead, or make sure you have excellent rain gear. Try to keep stops or rest breaks to a minimum, as the act of exercising generates a lot of valuable heat to keep you warm. - Be sure to wear quality winter underwear that moves sweat away from your body. Trapped sweat rapidly cools you off.
- Layering definitely does work. Each layer acts as a barrier to the wind. The sum of a few layers is usually greater than one single layer of the same overall insulation. Layering also lets you change the amount of ventilation during exercise. For instance, do up your zippers or put on an extra wind shell to keep warm during the ride up the ski lift, then unzip or remove a layer while skiing.
- Wear a hat! You lose a lot of heat through an uncovered head and neck.
By using common sense, you can safely continue to enjoy outdoor exercise year-round.
FAMILY HEALTH is written with the assistance of |
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FAMILY HEALTH is written with the assistance of |
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