The cold is actually good for us. And all that white stuff is just icing on the cake; and on the sidewalks, the driveways, the streets, and the riverwalk. Yum!
And since I share the same genetic pathway that gets the credit for that longevity in inch worms, then it stands to reason, I too might expect longevity for having wearily weathered winter, again! So says the researchers from the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan.
The bigger question is ‘do I want to live longer in this wintery mix of ice, snow, and cold?’ Sit and ponder that one.
And then there’s Diane. My wacky and wonderful friend actually likes shoveling her driveway. Apparently she already knows what the researchers in Finland discovered when it comes to cryotherapy (exposing the body to ultra-low temps for brief periods). Cold suppresses the pain that normally goes along with a hard workout. Blood tests (not on Diane; on the Finnish fellows) revealed three times the levels of the chemical norepinephrine, a naturally occurring chemical that may help suppress pain.
So much for the ‘no pain, no gain’ workout theory.
You go girl!
She's definitely my go-to girl next time it snows!