Outdoor exercise in extreme winter weather is bad for heart

With the region facing quite low temperatures and a significant wind chill factor, exercising outdoors can pose serious health risks, outweighing the benefits. While exercising in moderate cold can enhance the benefits of working out, it can increase the likelihood of injury, illness, or even life-threatening conditions in the extreme cold, especially in those suffering from heart problems and respiratory issues.

Increased cardiovascular strain: Cold causes blood vessels to constrict, raising blood pressure and forcing the heart to work harder. As exercising impacts the heart rate, this can heighten the risk of heart attacks or heart strain, particularly for those already suffering from cardiac conditions, hypertension, or in the elderly. Such people should avoid walks or any outdoor exercise, especially in early morning or late evening, and should preferably work out indoors, because according to some studies the heart rate may also rise by 5-10 beats per minute just from the cold temperature.

Respiratory irritation and breathing difficulties: Dry and cold air irritates airways, causing inflammation, constriction, and excess mucus. This can trigger asthma attacks, shortness of breath, or chest tightness, even in healthy individuals, but it can be dangerous for those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cold winds and/or pollution or fog/smog in winter can only aggravate the issue.

Risk of muscle and joint injuries: Muscles and tendons get stiff in the cold weather due to reduced blood flow and elasticity. Exercising without proper warm-up can make muscles and joints more prone to strains, tears, or pulls. If muscle temperature drops, injury risk is more while running or lifting. It also affects coordination and flexibility and may cause slips or falls.

Dehydration and overheating paradox: People usually don’t feel thirsty in the cold weather, and dry air and heavy breathing during intense work-out can lead to fluid loss through respiration and sweat, causing dehydration.

Also, too much layering or overdressing can also cause the body to overheat leading to excessive sweating, which, when exposed to cold air, can chill you further.

Exercising outdoors can also accelerate heat loss through sweat evaporation and wind chill. In extreme cases, there can be risk of hypothermia, as the body loses heat faster than it can produce it in extremely cold temperatures, leading to a drop in core temperature below 95°F (35°C), which can be dangerous. Look out for signs of confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness, etc.

While exercising outdoors, extremities (fingers, toes, nose, ears) are most at risk, since blood flow prioritises core organs over limbs in the cold.

During extreme cold conditions, it is best to switch to indoor alternatives like yoga, aerobics, Pilates, dancing, etc. or head to a gym.  Switching to indoor workouts ensures you stay active without the hazards.