Getting warm, keeping warm

As we all know, the cold weather can often have a negative effect on the symptoms of neurological conditions, and it’s important to stay warm, especially if you’re not so mobile and can’t move around to warm up. 

Low temperatures might bring on spasms, or a feeling of tightness in the muscles. Being cold can lower your mood, and the lack of daylight doesn’t help. 

Here are a few tips to help you keep warm and keep those fuel bills down. 

Clothing

A couple of thin layers are better than one thick one. Tempting as it is to put on one huge sweater, a t-shirt and a fleece will be much more effective in keeping you warm. A long sleeved t-shirt will keep your arms warmer too.  

A blanket over your legs can help you keep your whole body warm, especially if you're not mobile.  

Wear socks, and get some fingerless gloves – just making sure your hands and feet are warm can make a big difference to your overall warmth. Same with your head – if you’re wearing a hoodie and you’re cold, put the hood up and see if you can trap the heat in.  

Environment

Keep your home warm - check for draughts and make sure windows and doors are closed and draughtproofed to keep the heat in. Good home insulation can help save money on fuel costs as well as keep you warm. Make sure you’re getting all the help with heating bills that you’re entitled to.  

Sometimes we worry about the cost of energy, and we keep our homes a little bit colder than we should. There are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to help you make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help manage energy bills.  For example, if you claim certain benefits or tax credits, you may be eligible for an extra payment from the government to help with the cost of living. The government has published energy saving tips to help save money on bills.

Check you're getting all the benefits and ways to help with the cost of living that you're entitled to. This is the official gov.uk page, always make sure you're getting the latest information from a genuine source.  

Make sure you’re on your energy supplier’s Priority Services Register, in case something goes wrong with your heating or energy supply. Here’s some information on how to do this.  

Priority Services Register

Keeping yourself warm

If you’re sitting a lot, hot water bottles and electric blankets can help. If you’re the only one in the house feeling the cold, there are ways to keep yourself warm without everyone else being too hot. Be careful if your condition affects how you feel temperature on your skin, take care you don’t burn yourself. Heated throws are becoming more popular, and they’re fantastic for keeping you warm, without the risk of burning, because they don’t get too hot. 

If you've had your hot water bottle for ages, stay safe by checking it over for leaks and cracks, and check its date - here's some information from Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert.   

Food and Drink

Hot food and drink can warm you up from the inside, but if you find cooking a challenge, then it can be difficult to make sure you have regular hot food. Food that’s simple to cook or heat is ideal. Meals you can microwave are brilliant, and if you can, batch cook and freeze some portions to heat up another day. A slow cooker is a good investment if you want to make lots of meals in one go.    

Storing a hot drink in a flask can help avoid repeated trips to the kettle. There are some lovely vacuum mugs available for a reasonable price. 

Stay Active

Even a little bit of exercise can help improve your circulation and help you stay warm. Our Virtual Centre, available through the Members' Area, has exercises which are always available for you to do as much or as little as you feel able, whenever you want. There's a seated exercise routine that's ideal for warming you up a bit. Do make sure you do these movements in a safe place, and don't take any risks.  

We hope we've given you some ideas to help you keep warm this winter - so stay cosy and it'll soon be spring...