Cerebral Palsy and The Cold
A chilly winter view with snow along the Columbia river in Washington state.
Happy New Year, and welcome back to The Disability Download! This month, I’m going to be sharing some tips and tricks for managing your cerebral palsy in cold weather! I grew up in Southern California, where seasons are nonexistent, so my first Midwestern winter, when I moved to Iowa for college, was quite the culture shock in several ways. I remember waking up one morning after one of our first real snowfalls my freshman year, and feeling so stiff I could barely climb out of bed. Over four years of Midwestern winters, and two years of winters just outside of Nashville, I’ve picked up a few tips are tricks on how to make winters a little bit easier, including ways to keep your muscles warm, and things to help prevent falls on ice.
Tip #1: Hand and Foot Warmers
One of the key aspects for me surviving winter is to keep my hands and feet warm. It helps keep the rest of the body warm and foot warmers in particular help to keep not just your feet, but your legs warm as well. I like to use the Hot Hands brand (you can find those here) because they are easy to use, and they last for 10 hours, so you only need one pack worth to be out in the snow and the cold all day long! They have smaller ones for your hands, and larger ones for your feet. I usually will stick the foot ones outside of my socks, but in the toe of my boots. The hand ones, I personally like to just hold while wearing a glove (sometimes I think they get too hot) but you could stick them in a glove or mitten too. Occasionally, I will activate them and just stick them in my pockets, which usually works really well too! These warmers are key for keeping my muscles warm and avoiding the dreaded stiffness that comes along with the chill of winter.
Tip #2: Layers are your best friend
Everyone reacts to cold temperatures differently, but I know that personally, anytime the temperature dips below 40 degrees, I’m going to want to have multiple layers on, especially if I plan to be outside in the cold for long stretches at a time. One of my favorite tips for layers is not only to wear a base layer, but to tuck that base layer in. This keeps the warmth that the base layer generates trapped inside, and really makes a significant difference in keeping you warm. Beanies or hats can also make a significant difference in warmth, because keeping your head warm helps to keep the rest of your body warmer. Base layers don’t have to be complicated! My favorite brand is 32 Degree Heat, for a formal base layer, but you can also use thin workout type clothing. If I know I’m going to be out in the cold, I typically will wear a base layer of pants, jeans, a long sleeve base layer top, a long sleeve t-shirt, and a down winter coat. When it’s really cold, sometimes I will put on a sweatshirt under the coat as well. The nice part about layering is that it’s easily adjustable depending on your preference and how you uniquely handle the cold!
Tips #3: Rubber Ice Cleats- find several brands here
This tip is probably my favorite of all…rubber ice cleats! I used these often in college when I would have morning classes before the sidewalks would be cleared. There are various different brands and styles, but the basic idea is that it turns your shoes or snow boots into cleats with prongs to grip onto the ice. This makes it so that when you encounter an unavoidable patch of ice, you can get across it without worrying about slipping and falling. I like them because they concentrate more spikes towards the front of the foot, and they are easy to slip on and off of shoes so that you only have to wear them outdoors, and don’t have to worry about ruining floors with the metal spikes. Because they are rubber, they are also easily foldable to be able to be shoved into a backpack or purse indoors! I have the brand Lace Inn, which can be found on Amazon, and I have also heard great things about the brand YakTrax, which provides a slightly different style, but more even coverage over the entire foot.
I hope that these tips make winter a little bit easier this year! We have some exciting things planned for The Disability Download in 2025 that I can’t wait to share. See you all next month!
