It is freezing temperatures and windy in Nackaskogen outside Stockholm when SVT goes there to go on a run with a group of cross-country runners. Here they run all year round. One of them is Hanna Åstrand – who describes the cold as wonderful to run in.
– You feel that you are alive. And then it’s a mess when you come in after.
But the cold does not attract everyone. Carina Nilsson, one of the group’s leaders, says that fewer people show up this time of year.
– It probably has a lot to do with not knowing how to dress.
The doctor: “Then you freeze more easily”
Ulf Hållmarker, who, among other things, has been a race doctor for the Vasaloppet, says that one should be careful with training if it is too cold outside, around minus 20 degrees.
– It is mainly toes and fingers that can be frozen, and ice forms in the tissue. Then there is a risk that you may even have to amputate some part of the body.
You should be especially careful if you are at risk of cold asthma. If you feel that your airways are getting tight when you are out exercising, Ulf Hållmarker advises to slow down the pace.
– And if it becomes more difficult, you need to try to get into the heat.
He has three tips for those who want to go out and exercise in winter weather: don’t go out if it’s colder than minus 20 degrees, bring a hot drink if you intend to be outside for a long time, and dress appropriately – neither too cold nor too hot.
– It is not good to wear too much. If you sweat, fluid is added. Then you freeze much more easily.