Stay pliable in winter

Dr Maninder Shah Singh

During winters, almost everything is frozen and becomes stiff. Human body is no different. It responds to the winter chill in the same manner. During cold weather, blood vessels constrict and become narrow, putting pressure on heart and resulting in reduced oxygen supply to various organs of the body. It can lead to muscle cramps, numbness in hands and feet and many other problems.

In winters, many people are also affected by morning stiffness, irrespective of their age. It is one of the more common complaints doctors hear about from people affected with arthritis, rheumatism, fibromyalgia and those whose bodies no longer rebound after a day of hectic activity. Some basic reasons that can cause morning stiffness can be due to skipping daily physical activity, being overweight, having a poor diet, lack of sleep and living in a cold and/or damp environment. 

Why it happens

Inactivity is a major reason. The best way to avoid morning stiffness in cold weather is to exercise daily. Even walking is beneficial as any prolonged physical activity can release endorphin, a neuro-chemical occurring naturally in the brain that has analgesic properties. It gets blood moving and helps clear toxins from the body. Having more than ideal body weight puts strain on the joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments and can cause weak muscles, bad posture and lethargy. Having a good sleeping posture is also one way to avoid morning stiffness as a poor sleeping posture can lock your body in a bad position for hours and reduce blood flow to muscles. Eventually, it leads to a build-up of lactic acid in the body that causes stiffness. Cold or damp environment also affects the blood flow in the body and causes muscles to stiffen.

Some pre-emptive measures 

While there may be ways to relax the stiffness in your body, it is always good to ensure pre-emptive measures to prevent it. 

• Ensure you get ample deep sleep to allow the body to repair and recharge. It is best to meditate before you go to sleep so that you go to bed with a relaxed body and mind. As sleeping posture also affects sleep, do ensure you sleep either on your side or on your back. Sleeping on stomach may put stress on the lower back and spine.
• Before going to sleep, do some easy stretches while lying in bed, and sitting up in bed, such as bending to the front and sides. Doing such stretches will relax the muscles and you can avoid stiffness.
• Take a hot shower. This may induce sweating, blood circulation will become better and not cause or release muscle spasms. Do some gentle exercises after the shower like half squats or body stretches (stand and stretch on your toes, release gently), gentle back strengthening exercises and balancing on one foot without support for as long as you can manage. Do at least 10 reps to get better blood flow to keep creaky joints supple.
• Drink water even if you don’t feel like. Because in winters even mild levels of dehydration can make you sensitive to joint pain. Staying hydrated will help you stay active and flexible and reduce stiffness. Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water daily to flush out the toxins from your system. 

— The writer senior orthopaedic surgeon, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi