Neighborhood Walking Below Freezing Safe?

[swingerofbirch]

I just tonight went for a walk for the first time in a long time. I am in poor shape exercise-wise, although I am not overweight. I have chronic anxiety problems that have gotten worse recently and wanted to give exercise a try.

I walked maybe a mile I think. I did get anxious on the walk--which did not surprise me. Walking away from the house would get me anxious no matter what time of year or day, it's a part of agoraphobia. Since I start to breathe heavier from the anxiety it's hard for me to gauge whether my tightness of breath is from anxiety, exercise, or the cold. I started getting more anxious as I wondered whether it was even safe for me to begin exercise while inhaling all that freeezing air, wondering if it was constricting my lungs too much. When I got back home I checked my Apple weather widget--which says it's 28 F outside. I was well bundled and warm enough, except for my face and possibly lungs?

Any walkers or doctors or combination of the two have an idea about whether it's bad for you to walk in the cold?

 

[MacNut]

Its ok as long as its not 20 below and that you bundle up for the conditions, Don't go out in shorts and a T if its 20 degrees out.

 

[CanadaRAM]

At 20 below, start getting worried.
Otherwise you are fine - breathe through your nose if you can, it's Nature-Built to prewarm the air going into your lungs.

Good on ya' for getting out there! Do it again tomorrow! It gets easier and better.

 

[livingfortoday]

You should be fine, I bike in that kind of weather and worse regularly. I would recommend a scarf wrapped over your mouth and nose to breathe through, since it'll warm the air a bit before it gets in your lungs. Plus, the scarf is then warmed by exhalation. Works great on a bike!

 

[TheAnswer]

Not bad enough that once for the distance you went is gonna do you any harm, but I wouldn't regularly walk more than say two-miles at once in that weather given your existing conditions. Like others have said, bundle up.

That said, exercise is great for anxiety. I'd also recommend trying yoga or tai-chi and maybe some types of meditation. All of those you can do inside on cold days like this.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Thanks everybody. Good to hear the reassurance. I am going to go again tomorrow, exact same route until I become "desensitized" to it. I'll go a little earlier in the day though. According to a book I am reading on anxiety you have to do it every day for it to be helpful in relieving anxiety--they say that doing it only once actually spikes your anxiety, which has always been true for me which is why I never stuck with it. But I am going to go with this theory that doing it every day will get results.