Yes, You Can Train Your Body To Handle The Cold. Here’s How.
This article originally appeared on Backpacker
We're nearing the end of fairweather hiking season, which means people who prefer to avoid adventuring in shrinking temperatures will soon hang up their packs until the ice thaws in spring. Even those who choose to brave the blustery winds might complain and long to snuggle up near the fireplace back at home. But, if you did that, then you would miss out on some of the best hiking of the year.
Nothing beats the solitude you can find while hiking in cold weather. People sightings usually go way down, and wildlife sightings go up. Everything is still, and the silence and tranquility is profound. Snow, ice, or barren trees can completely transform familiar summer trails, making them feel like brand-new adventures.
But some of the best reasons to go winter hiking and backpacking lie deep beneath the puffy coat and thermal layers. Below skin-deep, even. Exposing yourself to elements outside of your comfort zone, such as chilly temperatures, even for a couple of minutes, can have a huge impact on how efficiently your body adapts to stress in day-to-day life. Thankfully, no matter where you live or what time of year it is, you can train your body to become more comfortable and efficient in the cold.
What is brown fat?
When you become cold, your body responds in a few different ways to help keep you warm and stable. The hairs on our body stand up to prevent heat loss, blood vessels redirect blood closer to the core, and our muscles begin to shiver. And, while all this is happening, your brown fat starts working.
Brown fat is a special type of fatty tissue found in little pockets under the collarbones, along the sides of the spine, and throughout the abdominal cavity close to internal organs. The main purpose of brown fat is cold thermogenesis (the body’s ability to generate heat when exposed to cold). Lucky for you, humans have the ability to not only activate more of their brown fat, but they can also increase the amount of brown fat in their body, too. Don’t be fooled by its name: Brown fat is different than regular body fat. Everyone should work on increasing their brown fat levels because when it activates during exposure to the cold, it helps you maintain your homeostasis.
Brown fat cells have an abundance of mitochondria, which everyone remembers from elementary school as the powerhouse of the cell. Brown fat mitochondria are uniquely designed to waste simple sugar to produce heat instead of the typical energy molecules that most mitochondria make elsewhere in the body. What does this mean long-term? A stronger base metabolism, leaner body composition, more energy, and easier transitions from cold to hot and back again throughout life. Additionally, the immune system becomes more robust and provides increased protection against the typical onslaught of winter bugs and general stress. In short, winter hiking becomes not only enjoyable but comfortable, even pleasant.
How do I increase brown fat in my body?
Cold adaptation increases the resilience of our body systems so we can be more comfortable in a wider range of climates and temperatures. Our culture has a tendency to promote comfort over hardship, coziness and warmth over effort, so we don't have to go too far to stress our comfort levels. In Denmark, home of the winter swimming culture, there is a saying: "In the winter, wear less. In the summer, wear more." Physical exposure to harsh elements has a bigger place in the culture there, and some Danish parentsare even known to let babies sleep outside in the winter to improve their health and vitality.
Research shows the threshold for reaping health benefits from deliberate cold exposure is about 11 minutes per week. Small bursts throughout the week will have a stronger effect long-term than one or two big exposures, such as one long hike on the weekends. There are lots of ways to achieve the desired effects.
The greater surface area of your body that is exposed to the cold, the more the brown fat will activate and grow. Logically, a soak in a winter lake or even a trendy cold plunge tub could provide the most complete exposure possible. While this method is the most extreme, it's also the most efficient for maximizing brown fat activation and growth in a shorter period of time. But what if you want to ease your way into cold exposure without diving into ice water?
Fall is a great time to start your training.If you’d normally wear a jacket on a walk around the neighborhood or local park, try walking in a T-shirt and shorts for a couple of minutes a couple times a week. Simply exposing yourself to cold air on uncovered skin is enough to trigger brown fat activation and growth. Although the effect is not as potent as a cold plunge, it will still work over time to increase your overall brown fat. Research has also shown that simply sleeping in a 65 room will actively lead to positive changes in brown fat activity. Either way, regular, tolerable doses of cold can have a profound impact on your comfort levels outdoors.
Do cold showers activate brown fat?
Turning the shower temperature down to get cold water exposure for the last 1.5 to 2 minutes is also a nice method for activation without the full shock therapy of a cold plunge. Be sure to turn around and expose as much of your body's surface area to the water as possible. If the chilled water is shocking, you may also need to remind yourself to breathe slow and steady. Exposure to cold activates your sympathetic nervous system, and you might find yourself holding your breath or taking shallow breaths if you don't pay attention.
You'll reap the most benefits with consistent, regular cold training. Work up to 11 minutes a week, and you will notice a positive change with how easily you can tolerate the colder temperatures as the seasons continue to shift.
How else can I adapt to cold?
Don't be afraid to shiver. Your teeth shouldn’t chatter, but a gentle shiver means you're on the right track as you become more accustomed to the cold. Just be aware that this is meant to last only a couple of short minutes. Shivering for longer may be a sign you are headed into hypothermia, which you need to avoid for obvious reasons.
You also don't have to use the same temperature every time you expose yourself to cold, but it should be cold enough that you are uncomfortable. Change it up. Do a slightly harder exposure one day and an easier one the next. Varying the temperature will help you fine-tune your inner thermostat. If you still hate the idea of a cold dip, try one while wearing a hat or beanie. Retaining heat in your head will help trick the body into lasting a little longer in cold water.
On the same line of thought, the warmer you are before you expose yourself to the cold, the easier it will be to stay in the cold. If you like to use a sauna or hot tub to warm up, make sure you end with a cold plunge or cold shower. Warming up too quickly may negate the physical benefits of deliberate cold exposure by preventing your body from using natural mechanisms to increase body heat. In other words, your brown fat will stop working actively and you will go back into an unstressed state which is the opposite of the goal.
You can still work on improving your adaptability to the cold even on your way to the trailhead. On your drive to a winter hike or backpack trip, roll down the windows and shut off the heat for the last two minutes. Your brown fat will kick in, especially if you've been practicing deliberate cold exposure, and you will feel warm and ready to roll as soon as you park and put on the pack. Besides, it removes one of the worst parts of hiking in cold weather--stepping out of then toasty car and standing in the biting, frosty air.
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