Essential stretches to fight stiff winter muscles

Does cold weather seem to leave you with stiff, sore muscles? It's not your imagination; there's science behind the symptoms. Fortunately, you can relieve discomfort and protect your muscles by stretching regularly.

How cold affects muscles

When the mercury drops, it threatens your body's core temperature, which functions best at about 98.6° F. To stay warm, your body will send more blood toward your core. "The muscles in your legs and arms get less blood flow — and less oxygen — than they would in warmer temperatures. With less oxygen, the muscles are stiffer, they don't work as well, and they fatigue easily," says Dr. Sarah Eby, a sports medicine physician with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Cold weather also affects nerves (which contribute to muscle function) and makes blood flow to muscles even less efficient.

All of these changes increase the risk for muscle and tendon injuries, especially if you're less active in the winter and your muscles are weak and tight.

Two types of stretches

Dr. Eby recommends two kinds of stretches to ward off cold weather consequences.

Dynamic stretches get your muscles ready for activity. They consist of flowing, repetitive motions, such as walking briskly. The activity sends blood, heat, and oxygen to the muscles to help them work more efficiently and make them less likely to tear. During winter, they're best done when you're inside.

Most of the year, you need just a few minutes of dynamic stretching before an activity, and you might focus only on muscles you'll be using (such as leg muscles before a walk). "But in cold weather, everything tightens up, and you need a dynamic warm-up for your whole body. Do lunges or squats, bring each knee to your chest, make circles with your arms, and twist your trunk left and right. Loosen up for about 10 to 15 minutes," Dr. Eby says.

Static stretches keep muscles long and flexible and should be done only when your muscles are warmed up (after a workout, for example).

To do a static stretch, you hold a certain position for 20 to 30 seconds, without bouncing (which can tear muscle fibers). Examples include

• clasping your hands behind you, straightening your arms, and lifting them toward the ceiling, to stretch your chest and shoulders
• reaching for your toes while sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you, to stretch the hamstrings (in the back of your thigh)
• doing a deep lunge while keeping your back heel planted on the ground, to stretch your calf muscles.

Static stretches feel good and lengthen the muscles, which fights stiffness, increases your range of motion, and improves your posture, balance, and agility. Dr. Eby recommends doing them every day as a preventive measure or to relieve pain and stiffness.

For more information about stretching, check out the Harvard Special Health Report Stretching.

What else you can do

While stretching might be enough to avoid stiff winter muscles, the following tips can also help.

Stay hydrated. This helps prevent lactic acid from building up in your muscles and causing cramps.

Dress for the elements. "Dress warmly, with a hat, a neck gaiter, and a vest or a coat, so you don't need to shunt as much blood away from your arms and legs," Dr. Eby says.

Take vitamin D₃. Vitamin D deficiency can make muscles sore and achy. Take 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D₃ per day.

Avoid junk food. Stay away from highly processed foods, such as cookies, chips, and frozen dinners. These can contribute to inflammation throughout the body, causing muscle discomfort.

If pain doesn't go away

If muscle pain doesn't go away, you might have an injury, such as a muscle strain. An important clue: "Sore muscles feel better once you loosen up and exercise. Strained muscles get worse as you keep going," Dr. Eby says.

She recommends putting an ice pack on suspected muscle strains, applying topical pain relievers, and seeing your doctor if symptoms persist.