It's Better for Your Heart & Lungs. Cold weather can have a negative impact on your health, especially your heart and respiratory system. When your body works to regulate heat, your blood pressure can increase to unhealthy levels, causing long-term damage.
Improved Skin – Without the harsh sun rays, our skin tends to be much healthier. Cooler temperatures constrain blood vessels in the skin which makes them less prone to redness and swelling.
So, which is harder on the body: extreme heat or extreme cold? "It's a good question," said Dr. Thomas Hellmich, an emergency room physician at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital. "In general, you tolerate better extremes in cold.
Science proves 'sunny and +23°C (73°F)' is perfect for our health. Surveys of weather preferences show that, for Europeans, the most preferred temperature range is 20 to 26°C, within which 22 to 23°C is simply ideal. Adults, young and old, confirm that this temperature is the most comfortable.
The southern coast, which includes Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, has the best climate by far, with mild winters (June to August) between 41°F and 50°F (5°C and 10°C) and warm summers (December to February) between 77°F and 86°F (25°C and 30°C).
The cities were scored based on 43 key indicators of health, including fruit and vegetable consumption and vaccination rates. The site dubbed Fremont, Calif., the happiest city nationwide, based on 30 indicators of happiness, including depression rate, income growth rate and average amount of leisure time per day.
In research compiled as recently as two years ago, it was determined that people living in cooler regions of the world may live an average of 2.2163 years longer than those who don't.
In hot weather, it takes more cardiovascular effort to COOL the body, which occurs by pumping blood to the skin to promote sweating. Therefore, exercising in warm weather would actually use more energy than exercising at a temperature near freezing.
The burden of disease linked to hot temperatures far exceeds the burden from cold temperatures, contributing to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, and respiratory infections.
Another reason for living longer in colder climates is when your colder, the body needs additional mitochondria to warm you up, and mitochondria also slows the aging process.
New research suggests that cold weather may actually affect the body's immune response, making us more susceptible to COVID, colds, flu and other upper respiratory infections. Dr. Benjamin Bleier is a sinus specialist at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston.
Cold weather, and particularly cold air, can also play havoc with your lungs and health. Cold air is often dry air, and for many, especially those with chronic lung disease, that can spell trouble. Dry air can irritate the airways of people with lung diseases.
If you have any of the following conditions, it's important to be cautious during days with extreme heat. Heart disease: Heat may increase the chances of heart attacks, heart arrhythmias, and heart failure. Asthma: Anyone with asthma, especially children, may find it more difficult to breathe on hot days.
If your body is overheating, and you have a high temperature, bumps on your skin, muscle spasms, headache, dizziness, nausea or a number of other symptoms, you may have one of the most common heat-related illnesses: heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
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If you are relatively fit and seem to "run hot," there's an explanation for that: Muscle tissue generates heat, offering a different protection from the cold. If you're relatively petite, not only does a low BMI heighten your response to cold, but so does your overall surface area.
A healthy body functions best at an internal temperature of about 37°C (98.6°F).
Humans actually do eventually adapt to hot climates after a few weeks. The blood concentrations of water and salt adjust to allow greater cooling, the blood vessels alter to get more to the skin, and so on. Athletes use this process and train in harsher climates to cause more profound body adaptations.
At least five areas on Earth have been officially identified as "blue zones," where people live the longest and healthiest lives. The are Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; and Sardinia, Italy.
The tiny country of Monaco is the second smallest in the world but has the overall highest life expectancy. Like long-life communities in Italy, Greece and Spain, many people here eat the Mediterranean diet.
Increased cold sensitivity is a normal part of aging, but it can also be a sign of a health problem. Older adults have a thinner layer of fat under the skin, making them more susceptible to cold. Conditions like diabetes, peripheral artery disease and kidney disease can restrict blood flow and lower body temperature.
People seeking a life in Australia have a good reason to put Canberra, the Australian capital city, on their priority list. A new survey by the University of Canberra's Health Research Institute has found that the city's residents are happier on average than people in other Australian cities.
Canberra Happiest City In Australia: Report.
“Queensland's known as the Sunshine State. All those rays and the laid-back lifestyle might be among the reasons why it's Australia's happiest state,” Bayliss said.
A UK study rated Tasmania one of the best places to survive a collapse in society. Scientists say Tasmania's climate, agricultural resources and electricity supply make it an ideal refuge should "things go pear-shaped"