You don’t have to be an avid skier to enjoy the winter months. In fact, something as simple as taking a walk around the neighborhood or as carefree as building a snowman can help you get some much-needed exercise and vitamin D while shaking off those winter-time blues. And yet, just as with any other activity, taking all the right precautions will help ensure that you stay healthy and safe while having fun.
Here are 10 tips to keep in mind before venturing outside this winter.
- Dress in warm layers of clothing that you can easily slip off should something become wet.
- Choose mittens over gloves to help retain more heat in your hands.
- Wear a hat, fleece, or knit headband, or earmuffs to prevent your ears from getting frostbitten in extreme cold.
- Just because your boots are waterproof doesn’t mean they’ll keep your feet warm. Choose those that are well insulated or wear extra thick socks.
- Apply sunscreen to all exposed areas of your skin to prevent sunburn.
- Limit your time outdoors if the temperature or wind chill is -15 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Common sense will dictate, at least to a point, your own personal threshold for cold and blustery conditions.
- Whether shoveling snow or playing, take periodic breaks to rest and warm-up.
- Wear proper head protection when skiing or snowboarding, no matter what your skill level.
- Do not ice skate on ponds or lakes unless you know for a fact that the ice is at least 8” thick or you see a posted sign that states it is safe to do so.
- When walking at night, wear a jacket with reflective strips or carry a flashlight so that drivers can clearly see you.
Even if there’s nothing in the list above you haven’t seen before, we hope this blog proves useful to you by stringing a bunch of cold weather tips together. Here’s one more thing to keep in mind: should things suddenly turn cold indoors this winter, contact DiBiase Heating & Cooling for prompt and reliable home heating service. We’ll troubleshoot the problem, give you a guaranteed price to fix it, and then back that up with our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. That’s how confident we are we can fix your furnace or boiler, too.