Ways to stay warm

Up here, in the north, it's getting colder. Slowly, at the moment, but it's happening. With energy prices going up and through the ceiling, it's hard to stay warm for many people, which is a bloody shame, considering "we" are priding ourselves on being civilised.

A real civilised regime wouldn't let this happen. But... don't let this get into a political rant. I don't like poly-ticks and I don't like rants, I just needed to get this out of the way.

We need to stay warm. For this, there are clothes. Now there's a bit of the problem. We're also naturists, and naturists usually aren't very fond of clothes.

(This would be the place where some folks would ask for an 'amen' but I'm an atheist so don't you dare! 😉 )

Right. Ways to stay warm when it's not warm and you want to lose the clothes for a while. Here's what I do:

Everyone's favourite:

planking.

Don't underestimate this. 15 seconds isn't much, but once you get past the 45 seconds, it's definitely going to get to you. And work on it to keep that pose longer, so you can get warm and stronger at the same time.

Not the right weather to go outside for a run? No money for your own treadmill?

Try running in place.

Tip 1: put something beneath your feet that helps absorbing shocks, so your ankles, knees and back don't get all the hits. A yoga mat would work, or a folded blanket. Just be careful that you don't slip and fall.

Tip 2: don't go overboard, you don't need to 'run' a half marathon on day 1. Running is very high impact, so start very slowly. Even doing some knee-lifts for a few minutes is already a good start. Start the running with a few minutes too, slowly building up. You'll probably get out of breath before getting warm, but after some practice, you'll feel the benefits.

Weight lifting is also something that can help to get you warm, and it's good for the upper body.

Did you know you can actually lessen your waistline (if that's a concern) using (light) weights? Lift a weight straight up, lower it to shoulder height and move up the other one. Go for it for a few minutes. It might not seem like much, but it will do something for you over time. Don't expect miracles, your body has to catch and keep up. Rome and Los Angeles also weren't built in one day, but persistence will pay off.

Another nice way to stay warm, without all the physical stuff, is to wrap yourself in a thick, soft bathrobe or blanket, of course. Some people just can't do the physical stuff, due to limitations of various kinds.

Just thought I'd leave this here.