Cold Hands And Feet: Movements That Warm Up

When you spend the day sitting in an office heated to 19°C or have to wait for the bus in winter temperatures, it's common to end up feeling chilled, with frozen hands and feet. The extremities are the first parts of the body to suffer from the cold. Fortunately, there are simple movements and tricks to warm them up.

Why are the hands and feet frozen?

When it's cold, our body focuses its efforts on keeping the vital organs warm and directs blood primarily towards the internal organs. Conversely, blood circulation becomes less efficient at the extremities because the small vessels constrict.

The hands and feet, which are naturally poorly vascularized, are the first to suffer from this mechanism. That's why they often end up freezing in winter.

However, you should not do just anything to warm them up. For example, taking very hot foot baths or constantly running your hands under hot water is bad for the skin.

How to warm up hands and feet?

Unless you spend the day in mittens and fur-lined slippers, the best solution to warm up your hands and feet without turning up the heat is to move to get the circulation going.

Of course, you can stand up and walk to warm up your numb toes. You can also rub your palms together. Since these well-known tricks are not always enough, we will show you even more effective movements to reactivate microcirculation in the extremities.

What are the good movements to warm up the hands?

The first of the movements that warm up the hands involves kneading a soft ball, such as a stress ball. Not only does this exercise stimulate circulation, but it also helps to relax the muscles, which can amplify the sensation of cold when they are tense.

If you don't have a stress ball, you can use a simple tennis ball. The correct technique is to squeeze the tennis ball tightly between your fingers for 10 seconds and then release. Repeated 10 times in a row, this exercise helps to warm you up and also strengthens your hands.

Another warming movement is to play with a rubber band. Place your hands face to face and connect them with a rubber band. Spread your hands as far apart as possible and maintain the tension for 2 seconds. Repeated 10 times, this exercise warms the hands and improves their mobility.

If you are alone at home, you can do another exercise to get the circulation going in your hands. Stand up straight with your back erect and your legs slightly apart. Extend your arms out to the sides of your body, then quickly raise them above your head, crossing your hands as if you were making large gestures for help. Just performing this movement for about 2 minutes is enough to get warmed up.

What are the right movements to warm up the feet?

If you have the opportunity to take off your shoes, the first movement to warm up your feet is to roll a tennis ball back and forth under the arches of your feet. Practice this foot self-massage for 5 minutes on each side, pressing firmly on the ball. This movement stimulates micro-circulation and relieves both heavy legs and cold feet.

With or without shoes, you can also rise onto the tips of your toes before slowly lowering back down onto your heels. Repeating the toe-heel sequence for 2 minutes helps warm up the feet while also improving balance, provided you do not hold onto anything.

Note: if your hands and feet suffer from brief exposure to the cold, you should consult a doctor as you may be suffering from Raynaud's disease (a disorder that affects blood circulation in the extremities).