Beat the Heat for the Best of Health
By Tom Herrin
For those of us who live in Texas, there are lots of reasons to try to control our environment. That is, it gets plenty warm for much of the year, and finding ways to do a better job of fine-tuning our indoor environment may make life a little more bearable. When we can do this, we may be able to accomplish more of the things that can make our lives better. In most of the state, hardly anyone would consider attempting to go without using some kind of climate control. Besides the obvious things, there may be good reasons to go the extra mile in controlling it for some things to the point of very fine-tuning.
There May Be a Right Temperature for Sleeping
It is often thought that the best range of temperatures for living is between 60 and 80 degrees. Some who have done more study on the effects of temperature on sleep have found that this range may be reduced considerably. It may be that people sleep best when the temperature is between 65 and 72 degrees. For some, this may be just cool enough to have some kind of covers over them. Some people are known to use weighted blankets to help them sleep better. Who hasn't enjoyed the feel of snuggling down into moderately heavy cover when the outside temperature is pretty cold?
Weight May Be Managed Better at Some Temperatures
Many have found that they do much better when they try to exercise at cooler temperatures. This may allow them to begin somewhat cool and warm enough to be just right after a few minutes. This is always much better than beginning too warm and quickly becoming way too hot, way too soon. There may be more to it when it comes to losing weight. The body tends to respond differently, according to what kind of temperature it must deal with. Some have suggested that shivering for short periods may be a worthwhile way of burning calories. It is thought that shivering may increase the burning of calories by more than a little bit.
Do What Works Best
In the past, I have had trouble losing weight when I have tried to do so at the wrong time of year. As a result, I have only attempted it in fall or spring. I have felt that it is just cool enough that my body seems to be more efficient at burning calories at those times. I have always struggled to sleep well. I finally began to turn down my thermostat each night when I go to bed. It has seemed to help.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Worth, Tex.