Probably the most common statement I am hearing made these days is “I can’t wait for this winter to be over!” As a lover of all that each season has to offer I am a firm believer that the only way to truly enjoy the weather is to gear up properly. And what is the proper gear for -33 with the wind chill? For that answer I will have to defer you to the expertise of the very knowledgable staff at Waterloo’s Adventure Guide, Cambridge’s new SAIL or if you are up for a road trip MEC in Burlington.
What I can comment to is what your body does when not wearing the right clothes for the season; specifically the cold. As the weather starts to turn cold I will start to notice an increase in people arriving for treatment of headache symptoms and tight neck, shoulder and upper back muscles. So often a huge contributing factor is they are cold and their body is trying to curl in on itself to maintain warmth. Ever notice that as you get colder your shoulders start to head for your ears? It is so important to make sure we are bundled up against the wind and cold. Find clothing that comes up around your neck, wear layers and really good socks!
Keep these things in mind as we head into spring. Believe it or not the weather is actually getting warmer! The sun is getting stronger and staying out later. This tends to lead to people getting a little over excited about breaking out the lighter weight coats and putting away the clunky boots. Remember, as the temperature rises it will turn wet outside and that can lead to a whole new kind of chill.
Each season can be so much fun to play in but not if you are not geared up properly. Get dressed for the weather and go out and enjoy before the snow is gone the new mantra becomes “It is way too hot out here to move!”
Michelle Kudelka, RMT
