Chill seekers
Instead of grumbling about the cold, why not chillax and embrace it — there are some surprising mind and body benefits, says
It’s easy to complain about the cold, turn up the heating and stay on the sofa huddled under a blanket. But the truth is, cold can actually be good for you. For example, a new study suggests that swimming regularly in cold water reduces the risk of developing dementia. While wild swimming has had a big uptake in recent years, you don’t have to plunge to icy depths to get the benefit of the cold, there are lots of other cool ways to get a lift.
Cool cognition
If you’re struggling with sudoku or crosswords, turn down the thermostat.
Studies show that having the room temperature between 10° C and 15° C improves scores on cognition tests. And it’s worth storing up challenging tasks for winter. Norwegian researchers who put more than 300 people through a series of experiments to measure their mental agility found that scores were higher in four out of five of the tests during winter than in summer.
This came as a surprise as the scientists had expected Seasonal Affective Disorder to impact winter scores. Maybe it’s a good time to start tackling your tax return.
Sleep right
Insomniacs often struggle to sleep because they can’t regulate their body temperature overnight.
Try sleeping with a lighter duvet or turning the heating off a few hours before bed. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that volunteers wearing a cool- cap – similar to those used to head- off migraines – nodded off more quickly and slept for longer.
However, older adults and children often need warmer rooms for sound sleep, so try small reductions rather than throwing open all the windows.
Ice, ice baby
Drinking ice- cold water ramps up the rate you burn calories and could be a simple way to speed up weight loss. Experts calculated if you drink 10ml of water chilled to 4° C for every kilogram of bodyweight you could lose 1.2kg in a year.
NASA scientist Ray Cronise was struggling to lose weight when he read that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps ate 12,000 calories a day to maintain his weight. Cronise figured it must be the fact that Phelps swam in cool water, and his body was working overtime to stay warm. He put his theory to the test with cold showers and shirtless walks in winter and lost just under two stone in six weeks. But even working out in the winter – going for a run or doing an exercise class outside – will help you lose weight because the cold constricts blood vessels, which makes your heart and lungs work harder, thereby burning more calories.
Athletes often plunge into an ice bath after an event or intensive training to reduce swelling and soreness. Cold also combats muscle sprains and strains by damping down pain and inflammation.
For a more manageable and targeted chill factor, try deep freeze pain relief cold gel or cold spray from your local pharmacist.
Research at Stirling University found it lowers the temperature of skin and muscle more effectively than crushed ice because it can be tolerated for longer. It can even be used to relieve back pain for women in labour.
Bathing in cold water helps beat the blues by reducing production of the stress hormone cortisol while pumping up feelgood chemicals including serotonin and dopamine.
Having just a few cold showers or plunges into water lower than 15° C reduces our response to stress, which protects against anxiety and depression, with some studies likening the effect to electric shock therapy.
Try turning down the temperature at the end of your shower for a few minutes for a daily lift. Within a day or two you will find yourself able to tolerate the cold water for longer periods, and you might even find it enjoyable.
Cold temperatures can help the appearance of your skin by constraining blood vessels, making you less prone to redness and swelling. Your skin tends to produce less oil and sebum in the colder months, which can lead to fewer breakouts too. But make sure you use a good moisturiser as the cold weather can dry skin out.