Cold air can have a number of different effects on the body. Too much can, of course, cause freezing, starting at the skin. Breathing the cold can cause inner body problems. Allowing ourselves to get too cold can result in organs shutting down.
Every night, the news channels are warning about the effects of cold. They warn us that a cold snap is coming. They warn about driving on frozen, icy surfaces. They tell us to beware of frostbite and hypothermia, even to the point of describing how these manifest in the body and what to do about it. I can’t help chuckle, a little bit, when the local weather channels are putting out these warnings in an area that the residents are used to cold weather, as if they don’t already know.
There are other responses to the cold, even bitter cold, that can be beneficial. Over the years, I’ve noticed that the clearest (purest) air in any area that I’ve lived seems to be when the air is its coldest. A great deal of the moisture tends to drop out of the air, and with it (I believe) are a good deal of the harmful, mostly man provided particles which are present in our air, especially around cities.
For someone who was born and raised in Upstate New York, gone to school in northern New York, lived in New England and Colorado for decades since, living with a cold winter can be a benefit in other ways.
I’ve also lived in states where the winter is very marginally cold, or even not what I consider cold at all. Especially when I was living in South Carolina, I found myself longing for the cold of a northern winter. I know, I know, be careful of what you wish for. Well, there has been a sense that I’ve had for several years, and especially the last 3 in SC, that my body and especially my brain need a good dose of cold air from time to time. This, maybe even on a more permanent basis. At times, I’ve felt that I have just not been able to get my head cool enough.
This immediate cold snap in New York State has had a remarkable effect on me. In particular as a result of my time outside in this cold. Last night I went for a walk around the block. The air temperature was 0 degrees fahrenheit and the wind blowing at 25mph, with higher gusts. While I should have done better at covering my face, I was careful not to stay out long. The result was invigorating. I felt like something had gotten woken up in my body.
This morning, I took a walk that was twice as long. The temperature was -10F, with a much reduced and only gusty wind, and the sun was up. This morning, I felt like something had been awakened in my brain. This sense so filled my body, and my head felt so much clearer, that I had a difficult time staying indoors. I ended up bundling up and sitting in the sun, wind and cold, on the front porch, just to be out there.
My sense of this all is that a part of my brain which has been dormant, due to insufficient access to “cold” air, has been awakened. And, it wants more. I’m grateful for not only being physically able to get out into the cold, but having access to it. Like anything else, how could I really appreciate this effect of the cold on my welfare, if I had not spent the time that I have away from it.
Walk with me,
Peter J Quandt