We can’t really control the weather. That’s beyond us. It’s true, not unless you’re a gifted individual such as Storm of Marvel’s X-Men, fictional as she is. And yes, when the winter’s chilly claws are upon us, focusing on the things within our control is wise. It’s exactly what the Serenity Prayer suggests. Right? In which case, your attention should zero in on ways you can maximize heat. Know that the cold has a sneaky way of sabotaging your health. Experts point out winter is your immune system is at the lowest. Making you most vulnerable.
Sometimes, however, we just let important things get by us. For instance, when it comes to heating our homes, we think that cranking the heater is the one-size-fits-all solution to heating our homes. But there’s actually more to it than meets the eye. For one, there are ingenious ways to get needed heat for your body. Not only will these practices warm you, but they’re also pretty easy to do. Lastly, perhaps it’s high time you give your heating system a timely makeover. One that will benefit the whole family for many winters to come.
Warm Yourself First
Don’t trifle with winter. You may think of Santa Claus, the gift-giving, and all the joys of the Christmas season. We certainly don’t want to rain on your parade if that’s your idea of the sweater months. But truth be told, winter is a time of the Grim Reaper.
For one, winter is the season where more heart-related deaths happen. If that’s not enough, it’s also the season of the flu, another scary prospect. Add to the mix the glaring absence of the sun, and you know your skin is up to another challenge.
You must keep yourself warm first before you keep your room warm. Why? Simply because it’s far easier for you to raise your body temperature than the room temperature. So if you must turn on the heat, put on an extra layer of clothes first.
The same holds true when traveling outside. Keep yourself warm by wearing protective gear. We’re talking about a scarf, gloves and a hat. Donning an electric scarf is also not a bad idea.
Keep an Active Lifestyle
There’s a lot of misconception about being active. Most people think you’d have to go to the gym or go for a run outside to stay that way. But that’s actually not true.
There are ingenious ways you can stay active while at home. The stairs for one can help you with that. The trick is to keep such exercise equipment just within reach nearby. You’d be surprised at how many routines you can actually do while inside your home during winter.
Keep a routine so that you get to exercise regularly. When your habits are set, getting fit during winter won’t be that hard. Keeping fit also helps you maintain a healthy heart.
Try Heating by Convection
For the longest time, we’ve been reliant on forced-air heating. While it may have served us well, it has its downsides.
When we say forced-air heating, this is when you use your heater or furnace to spread warmth throughout your abode. One problem with that is lost heat. As the warm air travels from the source (heater), heat is lost through openings in the air ducts. Additionally, such a system creates a yo-yo effect where warm air warms a room only to rise above, causing it to cool.
This is not the case with radiant heat. Right off the bat, radiant heat, also called radiant floor heating, is 30% more efficient in heating a room. That’s because your heating panels are directly attached to the floor. You won’t have that feared loss of energy, such as what is happening to forced-heat systems. Plus, you wake up to infrared heat, which is warmer than the heat that’s circling above your head via air.
The clincher could be radiant heat is much cheaper. You won’t need as much energy to produce needed heat as when you do with forced air.
Keep Up the Hot Stew
Know that food can definitely keep us warm. So keep serving those hot porridge. You can also alternate with soups and a whole list of stews to keep everybody warm.
And before we forget, keep the booze in check. That’s especially true when you step outside. You may feel warm and cozy inside. Credit that to the blood vessels in your skin as it expands. What you don’t know is this also drifts heat away from the more important part of your body, your vital organ.
Certainly, there are things you can do to get your precious abode the energy you need to outlast the winter. When you’re all set about it, you’ll realize keeping your family warm and healthy throughout the cold months is easier than you think.
