Exercising in sub-zero weather- it's good for you!

Now that we've settled into the coldest winter months with a high of FOUR BELOW and a low of -14 today, I am shocked and amazed to see people still running outside on the trails. I always thought that breathing all that frigid air could damage your lungs, or give you frostbite! Then I came across this article in the New York Times about an environmental physiologist who has done extensive research on the risks of exercising in the cold. Here's what he says:

It doesn't hurt your lungs to breathe such cold air, even up to -50, because by the time it reaches your lungs, it's near body temperature.  The cold air doesn't usually cause frostbite unless, say, you're running in subzero temperatures without a hat covering your ears. Your skin goes numb at about 50 degrees, and doesn't get frostbite until about 27 degrees, so it's gotta be a LOT colder than 27 degrees before you'll get frostbite, and as long as you're moving you can get by with not much more than a track suit, gloves, and a hat! Read the whole article here:

The New York Times: Too Cold to Exercise? Try Another Excuse

There were two different road races in Wisconsin over the weekend, which happened to be the coldest day of the winter by far, and they still had a good turnout, raising over $2000 for charity at "Freeze for Food" (left: the starting line). 

People are also still commuting to work on their bicycles here. I'm still trying to figure out how to handle the extreme cold, and for now I try to avoid being out in it longer than a minute or two. I feel like my eye

balls are going to freeze solid, and my nose hairs and eyelashes get stuck together with ice crystals after just a few minutes in the cold. After reading that article, though, I'm encouraged to try running outside, or biking. Maybe we'll run across frozen Lake Mendota this week!