We have left winter behind, and we wait in anticipation for the warm promises of spring!
We should feel very proud of our selves for having exercised in the cold winter, because research is saying that the cold weather has helped us make smarter decisions.
Why and how the body regulates temperature
One of the body’s most important tasks is temperature regulation. When the environmental temperature is hot (summer) or unusually cold (winter), we use energy in the form of glucose to maintain a healthy internal temperature.
That is; we shiver and sweat, trying to avoid hypothermia or heat stroke. These two processes correct for unwanted cold and excessive heat.
The human body uses more glucose in summer to efficiently keep us cool because our human evolutionary origins have come from a hot African environment where cooling is essential to survival.
The increase in summer energy needs explains why we can manage our weight easier in summer than winter.
Exercise keeps us warmer on a cold day
Unfortunately our evolved body isn’t as efficient in keeping us warm in winter.
However, by exercising in the morning, our body heat can be trapped under layers of clothing, and it can keep us warmer during a cold day than air conditioning.
A very “cool” Mpemba effect experiment named after the Tanzanian schoolboy who in 1969 showed that boiling water freezes quicker than cold water. It demonstrates a counter intuitive logic. Here’s how (short version).
In the freezer: evaporating water freezes, the frozen water drops back into the container and sinks to the bottom pushing up the warmer water allowing it to freeze. Cold water, on the other hand, freezes much slower from the outside inward.
Fitness works the same way, but opposite; a hot exercised body stays warmer in cold weather than a cold body trying to warm up all day from the outside inward!
A cold environment improves decision making
The unexpected cold snap last week made me stop and rationalize my exercise regime. Is feeling the initial cold worth the benefits of exercise?
My research took me on an interesting journey; concluding that exercise rationalization is best served cold.
Amar Cheema of the University of Virginia and Vanessa M. Patrick of the University of Houston carried out a series of social experiments that show that we should never make decisions that affect our long term well-being when we are warm and comfy.
For example, the decision should not be made while warm in bed to miss an exercise class on a cold morning. Here are the findings from 3 experiments on cold decision making:
- Participants were asked to proofread an article: results found those participants in a cool 19ºC room found twice as many errors than those in a warm 25ºC room.
- Participants were asked to choose between two mobile phone plans: One plan looked more attractive on the surface but was more expensive. Participants in the cool room made the correct choice over half the time; those in the warm room, a quarter of the time.
- Warm participants stick to what they know. Participants were asked to choose between two products: an innovative one and a traditional one. The participants in a warm and comfortable room, seemingly could not access their cognitive resources to evaluate the new information relevant to choosing an innovative product.
The moral of these finding is not to let your warm comfort zone dictate your well-being when it comes to exercise!
Weird ways the cold affects behavior
The mind and body are amazing, and together they have evolved some shortcuts that have helped us survive harsh conditions. These are a few of the weird ones I found interesting:
- Studies showed that people are less inclined to think violent thoughts when the weather is cold because humans crave warmth and comfort from other humans.
- Cold weather decreases sex drive, therefore women tend to wear shades of red and pink to be more alluring in winter.
- Cold hands, cold heart. (Love this one!) Some participants were asked to hold ice packs, and others held hand warmers. Those that held ice packs were less likely to defend their friend who had committed a fictional crime!
- The flu virus tends to fly around more easily in cold air. A good practice is to wash your hands after group exercising.
- People watch more romantic comedy in winter hence the rating seasons are in winter!
This week’s homework
Take a few moments to examine your winter habits, has the cold resulted in poor fitness and nutrition choices?
In the comments below let me know what changes you will make this week to see you live a fitter and healthier life.
Live well with fitness!
Anna
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