How is it that I can travel to a tiny Austrian village in the Alps to ski each year with minimal hassle yet can't go five stops on the Bakerloo line in winter to get to my Harley Street clinic?It seems we Londoners are out of touch with our seasons and how to cope with them. But in a way you can't blame us because so much nonsense is written about health and winter. The best-known myth is that going out in cold weather increases your chances of catching a cold. There is no evidence that you can get a cold from exposure to cold or wet weather: viruses cause colds. There are more colds at this time of year simply because people are cooped up indoors in sustained contact with others who might be contagious. However, cold weather may make the lining of your nose drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.
Another popular myth is that we lose most of our body heat through our heads: again, untrue. Head heat loss is usually less than 20-30 per cent of total heat loss. As one scientist who researched this put it: “If we lost 45 per cent of body heat through our heads, going out without a hat would feel like going out with no trousers.”
The complementary medicine brigade is responsible for more rubbish: echinacea, a herbal supplement which people use to treat colds, has been shown not to help prevent colds in adults and is useless in the treatment of children aged two to 11. In a similar vein, many swear that vitamin C wards off colds. But large-scale, controlled studies have produced no conclusive data as to its effectiveness. It's big money for manufacturers, however.
What is true is that a 5C drop in temperature has been associated with a 12 per cent increase in admissions for heart attacks and that 53 per cent more heart attacks take place in the winter than summer. The cold can cause arteries to constrict, reducing blood flow and therefore oxygen supply to the heart, leading to a heart attack. Research has also shown that very cold weather may increase the risk of blood clots via its effect on platelets in the blood. So we do need to be better prepared for our winters and if you're starting a new fitness regime, take the cold weather into account.
Always start gently — it won't then be such a shock to your system. Your cardiovascular system can adapt to slow, progressive changes but it has more difficulty adapting to sudden ones. You'll feel less sick and dizzy at the end of your workout and may actually keep it up beyond January.
Look on this month as a warm-up, a time for getting into the habit of exercise and healthy eating, rather than expecting unrealistic results. And whatever you do, try to do it indoors and avoid sudden exertion outside — it's this that can precipitate heart attacks and strokes.
Another popular myth is that we lose most of our body heat through our heads: again, untrue. Head heat loss is usually less than 20-30 per cent of total heat loss. As one scientist who researched this put it: “If we lost 45 per cent of body heat through our heads, going out without a hat would feel like going out with no trousers.”
The complementary medicine brigade is responsible for more rubbish: echinacea, a herbal supplement which people use to treat colds, has been shown not to help prevent colds in adults and is useless in the treatment of children aged two to 11. In a similar vein, many swear that vitamin C wards off colds. But large-scale, controlled studies have produced no conclusive data as to its effectiveness. It's big money for manufacturers, however.
What is true is that a 5C drop in temperature has been associated with a 12 per cent increase in admissions for heart attacks and that 53 per cent more heart attacks take place in the winter than summer. The cold can cause arteries to constrict, reducing blood flow and therefore oxygen supply to the heart, leading to a heart attack. Research has also shown that very cold weather may increase the risk of blood clots via its effect on platelets in the blood. So we do need to be better prepared for our winters and if you're starting a new fitness regime, take the cold weather into account.
Always start gently — it won't then be such a shock to your system. Your cardiovascular system can adapt to slow, progressive changes but it has more difficulty adapting to sudden ones. You'll feel less sick and dizzy at the end of your workout and may actually keep it up beyond January.
Look on this month as a warm-up, a time for getting into the habit of exercise and healthy eating, rather than expecting unrealistic results. And whatever you do, try to do it indoors and avoid sudden exertion outside — it's this that can precipitate heart attacks and strokes.
Ok I should not tell my mum what you wrote, as she still tells me i shouldnt walk barefoot in the house. But if you catch a virus/flu/cold can being in the cold make it worse, or prevent you from getting better?
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