Winter’s bitter chill can leave you shivering and searching for ways to generate warmth without cranking up the thermostat. While bundling up in layers offers temporary relief, there’s a more effective solution hiding in plain sight: movement that gets your blood flowing and your internal furnace firing.
Licensed occupational therapist Kevin Shelley, who brings over three decades of healthcare experience to his practice, understands the challenge of staying warm during harsh weather. His background in home health care exposed him to an interesting phenomenon—patients who felt perpetually cold regardless of the season.
“When I worked in home health, many people assumed my most challenging time of year was winter, when snow-strewn roads, frigid temperatures, and shivering patients combined to make it difficult,” Shelley recalls.
“However, it was the summers that were the worst, because patients with anemia often feel cold year-round—and frequently, when I would visit, they would have their air conditioners off. After our treatment sessions, they finally and happily felt warm—but I’d be about to melt.”
This real-world experience led Shelley to develop a series of standing exercises specifically designed to combat internal coldness. These movements work by increasing circulation, boosting metabolism, and generating heat through muscle activation—all without requiring special equipment or extensive time commitments.
The beauty of these standing exercises lies in their accessibility. Whether you’re dealing with winter weather, poor circulation, or simply want to warm up quickly, these movements can be performed virtually anywhere. They’re particularly valuable for individuals who spend long hours sedentary or those whose medical conditions make them more susceptible to feeling cold.
Unlike traditional jumping jacks or high-intensity workouts that might be too vigorous for some people, these exercises focus on gentle yet effective movements that gradually increase body temperature. The standing position ensures better blood flow compared to seated exercises, while the controlled nature of the movements makes them suitable for people of varying fitness levels.
For those who struggle with circulation issues, joint stiffness from cold weather, or simply want an alternative to turning up the heat, these exercises offer a natural solution. They work by activating large muscle groups, increasing heart rate moderately, and promoting blood flow to extremities—the areas most likely to feel cold first.
The timing of these exercises is flexible, making them perfect for morning warm-ups, midday energy boosts, or evening circulation enhancers. They can serve as a prelude to other physical activities or stand alone as a quick warming routine when the cold becomes unbearable.
What sets these exercises apart from other warming techniques is their ability to create lasting warmth rather than temporary heat. By improving circulation and muscle activation, the warming effects can persist well after the movement session ends, providing sustained comfort during cold periods.
As winter temperatures continue to challenge our comfort levels, having a reliable arsenal of warming techniques becomes increasingly valuable. These standing exercises offer a practical, healthy, and cost-effective way to combat the cold while simultaneously improving overall fitness and circulation.
