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The human body has a remarkable ability to stay warm in a lot of different conditions, but when we start to get cold the body reacts by shivering which uses up energy. In extreme conditions or in people with health problems, getting too cold can be life threatening.
Staying warm is mostly common sense, for example wearing appropriate clothing for the conditions, and avoiding damp air such as you might be exposed to in the evening after the sun has set and the dew begins to settle.
Being cold is made worse when we are also wet, water cools to air temperature quicker than the skin does, making us feel colder, and preventing the natural warmth of our bodies from drying the skin. Prompt toweling assists us to stay warm, and on colder days pre-warming clothing is recommended.
In the home, find and then seal drafts to stay warm. Cold drafts can be a health risk because they our muscles stiffen up, and we feel demotivated which exacerbates our susceptibility to viruses, and leading to sickness.
Doors and windows are not the only places where drafts are felt, often skirting boards along the floor can let in as much draft as an open window, and so too can natural ventilation holes. Some airflow is required especially when oxygen is burned by fireplaces or gas cookers and heaters.
Try to wrap something around your body if you get cold. The human body is quite capable of warming the air around us, provided there is a barrier designed to keep cold air out. This is why sleeping bags are so effective compared to blankets, they do not allow the warm air created by our bodies to escape.
The same principle applies with wearing long sleeved thermal underwear and leggings. Less cold air as able to get close to the skin due to the tight weave of the fabric, thus allowing the body to warm the air between the skin and our clothing.
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