Sports in winter: how to take care of our joints in the cold – news from Debrecen, news from Debrecen | Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar county news
Sports in winter: this is how we can take care of our joints in the cold
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Published: 25.11.2022. 09:13 | Updated: 25.11.2022. 09:30
A healthy mind in a healthy body – he says. As with similar wisdoms in general, this also has its own truth content. In addition to the right lifestyle and proper nutrition, regular sports are one of the ways to maintain our physical and mental health and balance. (x)
In summer or spring, we are really drawn to the open air, but in winter we feel better in the warmth of a room. However, the concept of regular sports also includes winter activity: you should not stop exercising even then. If we have the intention, we can find plenty of opportunities and there are only a few small things left that we should pay more attention to this time of year. Let’s take a brief look at what they are!
How to take care of yourself in winter?
Winter is the season of illness, or (preferably only) the season of the flu, so we certainly have all the experience of how we can do to preserve our health during these months. If we eat properly and take the necessary vitamins, our body can be strong enough that winter sports pose no greater danger than going out on a normal weekday.
The most important are vitamins C, D and B, but children, the elderly, smokers or pregnant women may need something else. Supplementation of B and E vitamins is also important, as are minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, selenium, sodium and potassium.
We can’t ignore the fact that the summer temperature is even 20-30 degrees, so you have to take care of the appropriate protective clothing. It’s worth choosing clothes intended for this purpose, they are light, comfortable, well ventilated, yet keep you warm. Various undergarments, gloves or hats are frequently worn accessories during this period. Dress in layers and make sure to go to a warmer place after exercising or quickly buy an extra top, as we are more likely to catch a cold after sweating.
Fluid replacement is one of the most important tasks for any physical activity in any season. In the heat of the day, we are thirsty for it, but we must not forget about it in the cold of winter either. Just like the protection of our joints and muscles, since the cold is never good for them, even when we are playing sports. But even with the right clothing, we can protect them and ourselves in many ways.
What can we do for our joints?
The bottom line is to try to keep them warm – in the cold, the muscles and ligaments surrounding them are also stiffer, primarily due to blood circulation. This can also affect our joints, as the right nutrients do not reach the synovial fluid that nourishes them. And if we don’t want you to be a hip after years knee replacement can be a solution to our problems, it is worth observing the following.
Let’s warm up properly! In order for a sporting activity to truly benefit us, we need to persuade ourselves not only to move. If our determination is followed by actions, we must not miss the proper warm-up. Not only will it be more pleasant and easier for us to start the kilometer in front of us, or to start the selected exercises, but we will also do good for our muscles and joints.
Give it at least five minutes. Let’s go from top to bottom: we can start with neck circles, then we can warm up our shoulders, so that after the ankle circles, every part of you is ready for the competitions ahead.
Let’s do joint-friendly sports! Weight lifting, for example, does not exactly belong to this circle, but we can not only develop endurance with joint-friendly sports. Bodyweight training or swimming are gentle exercises, but they can still be suitable for increasing muscle mass. It is also important to do sports on the right terrain and in suitable equipment. When running, we avoid asphalt as much as possible, if we have no other option, a quality running shoe can provide lasting softness and offset the harmful effects of hard ground. But we can safely ride a bike or do the pilates exercises that are so popular these days.
Let’s do sports indoors! There is no need to even leave our apartment if the minuses are raging outside, but we still want a little exercise. An exercise bike, treadmill or spinning machine takes up space, but you can comfortably do your own body weight training, sit-ups, and push-ups on a few square meters. And if there is a suitable surface, our training options can be dramatically expanded by installing a pull-up bar. And, of course, swimming pools, gyms and other sports complexes are also open in winter, so the cold outside should not be a reason not to play sports.
Why is it important to comply with the above?
It’s better to do sports than to remain passive, but if you do sports, it’s worth doing it “sensibly”. An inadequate warm-up can be as good a cause of a muscle strain or tear as overuse. And if the cartilages are damaged for a long time, in older age, only a hip, ankle or even knee prosthesis can be a solution to our problems, when the damaged joints are replaced with special metal or plastic parts. With care, playing sports is safe even in winter!
As we have seen, playing sports is most useful if it is done with the right care, not only replenishing the liquid, but also the necessary vitamins and minerals, as well as paying enough attention to the least exciting and enjoyable parts, such as the warm-up or the end of the workout stretching. These are not allowed, they scare us away from exercise, on the contrary: if we pay attention, we can find an opportunity to exercise in every season, and if we observe a few aspects, we can do all this with complete safety.