If you have spent time outside this winter then you know it has been very cold this year!

If you are finding your body is not happy in the cold weather you are not alone.

Many people with arthritic or degenerative joints find they are lot stiffer at this time of year and take more time to get moving in the mornings.

Spending time gardening or watching football in the cold often makes your neck and back muscles get very tight which can lead to an increase in headaches.

There is also the dreaded “couch potato syndrome” that occurs in winter where we are much less physically active than normal and this creates unhappy bodies.

Top 5 Tips To Warm Up Your Body

1. Keep Your Body Warm

   Put on that extra layer of clothes when out in the cold. A scarf is particularly good to keep necks warm and happy.

2. Hot Packs

   Applied a few times a day to achy joints can do wonders to relieve discomfort.

3. Make Moving A Part Of Your Routine

   We all know that our bodies don’t like sitting for too long and they certainly let us know about it when we do. Make a commitment to move more in your daily routine. Get up in commercial breaks, walk at lunchtimes, take the stairs, park a little further away and walk, get off one bus stop earlier and walk. For the ultimate reminder set your mobile phone alarm to go off every 30 mins to remind you to take a break from sitting.

4. Keep Exercising

   The latest research is showing that our bodies don’t respond well to taking long breaks from exercise, just as they don’t respond well to overload. Continuing to exercise in cold weather can require a bit of extra motivation. Make exercising more attractive by taking an indoor exercise class such as pilates.

5. Have Physiotherapy Treatment

   Sometimes bodies just need a bit of help to get moving. Some good hands-on physiotherapy treatment to loosen your stiff joints and tight muscles can do wonders to get your body unfrozen again.