Safety Tips for Cold-Weather Exercise
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Expert describes how to protect yourself, even in subzero temperatures.
If you exercise outdoors in cold weather, you need to take certain steps to stay safe, an expert advises.
The main issue is hypothermia, which is excessive loss of body heat, explained Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise.
Layers of clothing keep you warm and give you the ability to control your body heat while exercising. A hat or helmet is crucial, because you can lose about 50 percent of your body heat through your head when the temperature is at the freezing mark.
Wear gloves and warm footwear. It can be difficult to keep hands and feet warm when exercising in the cold. Lower air temperatures cause the body to shift blood away from the extremities to the center of the body to warm and protect the internal organs, Bryant said in a council news release.