Common Sense Tips for Dealing with Cold Weather

A friend of mine refuses to wear a hat in winter because it flattens her hair, even though she suffers most all winter long from sinus infections. It must be a genetic or behavioral thing, because her children and her grandchildren also refuse to wear hats in the winter.

Scientifically speaking, "cold doesn't cause infections or viruses." What it does do, however, is make your body fight harder to keep warm. That in turn, lowers your resistance, making you more susceptible to infections and viruses. While the myth that we lose more heat through our head than any other part of our body has been debunked, you are still exposing part of your body to cold. Any exposed surface will allow body heat to escape. The larger the area exposed, the colder you will feel. Those with thinner hair or no hair will lose more heat than someone with thicker hair.

It's not just my friend and her family-many people can be seen running from their vehicle into the shopping center with no hat, scarf, gloves, and some, with no coats or their coats unzipped. Last week, with temperatures at 14 degrees, I even saw three tweens wearing capris and loafters with no socks walking home from the grocery store.

No wonder people complain about winter when they don't dress for the weather. I would imagine they are freezing. Part of the reason for this lack of winter clothing might be because it takes longer to dress. For others, it's sheer denial-"if I don't dress for winter, it won't be winter." Another reason could be that shopping centers tend to be warm, and if you are layered up for the cold, you're gonna get awful warm while shopping.

There are ways to dress warm for the outside, and keep from roasting when inside shopping. When shopping for groceries get a cart, even if you only plan to pick up a few items. Then, remove your outer layers and put them in the cart. Place in the top basket or fold to fit in one corner of the cart, allowing room for other items. If you plan on shopping at the mall, take a large sack along (one with a handle is nice) and put your outerwear in that once inside. Some malls allow you to rent a locker to put belongings in.

Other options include taking a collapsible cart along-kind of like a baby stroller-- to place items in. Keep the sack or the collapsible cart in your vehicle, so it's always available. Also keep a pair of nylon jogging pants, the kind with the zippers on the side of the legs, in your car. When the weather is cold, and you didn't take time to dress in layers, it's easy to slip those on over jeans and boots.

Some might suggest parking close or having someone drop you off at the door. Most of us, other than those with certain health problems, need to walk the extra distance from the car to the door. Add extra steps to your day whenever you can and you will find you are getting exercise without even trying.

If you need to venture outside to do chores, wear coveralls (available at farm stores, like Big R and Farm and Fleet or online through Carhartt-a great brand) or a pull-on snow suit (available at Sierra Trading Post for $36 http://www.sierratradingpost.com/Product.aspx?baseno=89249&plp=Roper_Work_Bib_Overalls_-_Quilt-Lined__-_For_Women&utm_source=JellyFish&utm_medium=Affiliate_Indy&utm_term=Roper_Work_Bib_Overalls_-_Quilt-Lined__-_For_Women&utm_campaign=ADBING2KX&codesProcessed=true). These go on quickly, save you time from layering under your street clothes, and are extremely weather proof. Not only that, now that you're not freezing when outdoors, you might decide to actually enjoy winter by taking up an outdoor activity. The result? Your physical condition and your spirits will improves. Now that's what I call getting a triple reward-improving your comfort, and your physical and mental health.

A final word for those who think there is no need to dress warm because they are always in a sheltered environment, like their car, a parking deck, or indoors. I remember reading a story about a twenty-year old woman who slid into a gully when driving home in a snow storm. The next day, when a passerby discovered her and called an ambulance, the medical personnel told her that the snow suit she was wearing kept her from freezing to death. If you think you won't have to worry because you have a cell phone, think about this: cell phones don't work in all areas, batteries die, minutes get depleted, or you might be unable to call for help. So use some commonsense-dress for the weather.