…… since I last did a beach wander, which is astonishing. Usually I am out
pounding the sand and climbing rocks at least twice a week. Not since the peak
of Covid have I had such a long absence. The reason for this, it has, and I have, been
too damn cold.
This winter
has been a little challenging, with far more snow than we would normally see
here in the South Shore, then when it has not been snowing, it rains. I don’t
think the temperatures have been any lower than normal, but with the sun giving way to lots of grey overcast days, the cold has been damp, reminding me a lot of Scottish winters.
But irrespective
of the mentioned environmental aspects, I find as I get older, I am colder, and
have a much less tolerance for it, hence the absence from the beach, which has
led to more local walks.
I decided to google why this change of a lower tolerance for the cold is happening to me, and
found some reasons ~
The “hypothalamus” ~ the area of the brain that serves as a natural thermostat. It monitors sensory
inputs and triggers the appropriate responses, such as sweating to cool the body and
shivering to generate warmth. Apparently as we age this part of the brain becomes
less sensitive, and therefore adjusts more slowly to external temperature
changes.
“Metabolism” ~ the ability of the body to convert food into energy to create heat. As we age, this slows
down creating less overall chemical activity within the body, and a decrease
of internal heat production.
The loss of
“natural insulation” ~ our skin is made up of three layers, the
Outer, Middle and Deepest, as we age the Outer and Deepest layers get thinner resulting
in less insulation and more cold.
“Circulation” ~ when it's cold outside, the body must work to maintain its core temperature. To achieve this blood vessels constrict (narrow) to reduce the amount of blood flowing to the fingers and toes, with the goal of decreasing heat loss by directing blood flow and warmth to the vital organs. This process is why the fingers and toes are typically the first body parts to feel cold. But as we age it all becomes less efficient, the process of blood vessel constriction occurs more often, with the result of less blood traveling to your extremities, thus making them colder.
None of this is encouraging. In a couple of months, I will be heading to a Nordic country located within the Arctic region, for this I may have look into a body transplant or perhaps just toughen up a little.
Today’s beach wander in bright sunshine was chilled by a rather nasty and strong north-west wind, which I think is a rare wind direction for Crescent Beach. Fortunately when I reached the rocks at the far end, I was sheltered in one of my suntraps, which was really great, and prepared me well for the 4km return journey.
This
afternoon’s pics …
