Better not to set the heating above 20 degrees: Experts give tips
Created: 2022-12-23 06:57
By: Kilian Bäuml
Anyone who is constantly freezing in closed rooms in winter does not have to turn up the heating any further.
Other measures should help better.
Kassel – Many people know it: you sit at your desk with cold hands and freeze.
But despite the heating being turned up and the room temperature being over 20 degrees, you just don't get warm.
But what helps in the long term if it's not the heating that's turned on?
It's worth trying the opposite and turning down the heating.
This means that the room temperature is lower, which does not help against freezing in the short term.
In the long run, however, the body gets used to the low temperatures and you generally freeze more slowly.
This works because the sensitivity to cold can be trained, as
reported by the knowledge magazine
Geo
.
Exposing the receptors on the skin to lower temperatures means that they become harder and less sensitive to cold.
In order to harden yourself, you should not put on something immediately when you start feeling cold, but rather delay it little by little.
In order to harden the body, one should not dress too heavily.
(Iconic image) © Thomas Trutschel/Imago
Set the heating to below 20 degrees: the body gets used to the cold
Although many households are heated to 20 degrees or more, the temperature in the apartment should not be that high.
On the one hand, lower temperatures help to save energy in particular, which is why the Federal Environment Agency recommends a temperature of 16 to 18 degrees even for living spaces.
With every degree less, heating costs drop by around six percent, as reported by Stiftung Warentest.
On the other hand, the body can get used to the lower temperatures.
Recommended room temperature | |
|---|---|
kitchen | About 18 degrees |
corridor | About 16 degrees |
bedroom | Not below 16 degrees |
Source: Stiftung Warentest |
It is better not to set the heating above 20 degrees: Experts give tips on how to get used to the cold
Another measure that can be incorporated into everyday life is contrast showers.
"In any case, the blood vessels are trained and the blood circulation in the skin improved, since the vessels narrow due to the cold and then widen again," said Dieter Melchart, head of the Competence Center for Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy at the Technical University of Deggendorf, compared to the
Apotheken Umschau
.
According to Melchart, contrast showers also have a positive effect on the mucous membranes in the nasopharynx, which are important for the immune system.
However, you should only take a cold shower if you are not already freezing.
Expert Melchart warns not to take a cold shower with cold feet.
People with illnesses, such as nervous disorders, should also talk to a doctor beforehand.
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Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My space
Cold despite heating?
Harden the body and strengthen the immune system
Walks in the fresh air should also help to become less sensitive to the cold, writes
Geo
.
It is important to leave the house even when the weather is bad or it is cold.
Exercise also has the advantage that blood circulation is stimulated.
Good blood circulation also ensures that hands and feet get cold less quickly.
Sitting at a desk all the time has the opposite effect.
Exposing the body to cold stimuli can also stimulate fat burning.
It is therefore recommended by a researcher for effective weight loss.
But you shouldn’t overdo it with the cold stimuli either: While briefly freezing in the shower or when going for a walk can be beneficial for the perception of cold, it is not good for your health in the long term.
"Wet cold and draughts, in particular, affect our body," explained Jakob Berger, general practitioner and district chairman of the Bavarian General Practitioners' Association, to
Utopia
.
This weakens the immune system.
You should therefore slowly get used to the cold step by step.
(kiba)
