Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 22-28, 2021 UCW 17 During the winter months in NC, exercising outdoors can bring a roller coaster of temperatures from one day to the next. Sunny and sixty can quick- ly turn into cold and forty in twenty- four hours. Colder months can bring an invigorating workout for those that like to hike, walk, run or enjoy winter activities such as skiing, cross country skiing and snowboarding. Even though the temperature may drop, it does not mean that you must bring your work- outs indoors. e falling temperatures in the thirties and forties or less should not stop your outdoor activities. ere are benefits from winter exercise that are different than the summer. In cold- er weather, you sweat less, spend less energy, and your heart doesn't have to work as hard, which is beneficial for a more efficient workout. It can also be a mood booster and help replenish vitamin D levels in the skin. Wintry weather can also help max out that caloric burn. When your body is working hard to stay warm, your metabolism is kicked up into burning more calories. However, frigid air can irritate the lungs and is more diffi- cult for those that have asthma. Cold air entering the airways can induce asthma flare-ups. Breathing in through the nose rather than the mouth warms the air before it reaches your lungs. Consult with your physician if you have health questions. Winter activities can be beneficial for almost everyone, and with a bit of planning, outdoor workouts can be refreshing and invigo- rating. e approach to winter activi- ties is a little different than summer in the way we should dress and warm up. A warmup is essential for your muscles and tissues to avoid strains and injuries. Your warmup should be- gin indoors, including arm circles, arm swings, stepping in place and lunges. ink what it would be like for your muscles if you jumped into freezing water and how your body would react. While not quite as extreme as jump- ing out into the cold for an activity, your body needs blood flow for joints and muscles. Dressing for the cold is essential for body warmth, windburn or frostbite. Dressing in layers is the best way to begin and end your activ- ity, which allows you to remove and put back on clothing as needed. Your first layer should be a synthetic mate- rial avoiding cotton that absorbs sweat and makes you colder. e next layer should be a breathable, wind-resistant, water-resistant outer layer. Your hands and feet are vulnerable to the cold and the quickest areas for frostbite. Wear insulated gloves and glove lin- ers in case you remove your gloves. Wool socks and caps are essential to prevent the loss of body heat, and dark glasses help with wind and glare. Wear sunscreen and use lip balm to avoid chapping. Our area does not usually see extreme drops in temperatures, but hypothermia can occur if your body begins to lose too much heat. Lengthy exposures without adequate clothing can result in your body losing heat faster than it can be produced. It is most likely at colder temperatures but can occur at cool temperatures above 40 degrees if a person becomes chilled from the rain. Shivering can be the first sign of hypothermia. Getting warm slowly, changing any wet clothes and drinking warm liquids are essential to warm the body. Enjoy the winter and treat yourself to hot ci- der or hot chocolate after that outdoor activity! Live, love life and stay hydrat- ed. Baby, its cold outside. FITNESS CYNTHIA ROSS, Personal Trainer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910- 484-6200. DAN DEBRULER, General Manager, WCLN. Comments? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200. Baby, its cold outside by CYNTHIA ROSS e true meaning of Christmas. It's a phrase we often tuck into a meaningful sentence after spend- ing too much, going too much or simply having too much on our schedule during December. Beyond the phrase, the true meaning of Christmas is some- thing I want to embrace. But in all honesty, I'm not sure there's not a singular meaning that can be at- tached to the notion — or celebra- tion — of Christmas. For those of us in the Christian faith, the cel- ebration centers around the birth of Jesus Christ. e story itself is full of miracles and surprising answers to hard questions. So what is the true meaning of Christmas? For the shepherds, it meant being included. eir rough, smelly work on the out- skirts of society relegated them to spending more time with each other or alone with their sheep than any time hanging out in nearby establishments. But it was these outsiders to whom the news of the Messiah's birth was first an- nounced. Can you imagine their fear and astonishment when they were visited by an angel who told them they'd find the long-awaited savior — a baby — just down the hill in Bethlehem? If one angel wasn't enough, an entire sky full of angels singing and praising God soon joined in! Some of the lowest class of society were fully included and became messengers of the greatest thing ever to have happened. And Joseph. e Christmas story for him is one of obedience and loyalty. He was engaged to the young Mary, who told him she was pregnant. e cultural repercussions of the entire sce- nario were potentially grounds for Mary's execution. Not want- ing to disgrace Mary, he planned to divorce her in private. But in a dream, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to trust Mary. e angel also told Joseph that the child should be called Jesus. And Mary. ink about it. She was a young, unknown girl from a small town often ridiculed. How could she have imagined what the Lord had in store for her? You can't blame her for having ques- tions, yet she only asked one. "How?" Not "Why?" Or "When?" Just "How?" With the answer the angel pro- vided, she stepped forward. She believed. She obeyed. She must have been so frightened! ere was so very much at stake. Her upcoming marriage. Her reputa- tion. Her family and its reputa- tion. And even her life. Yet she said, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Do you wonder if she ever regretted that response? Did she ever think, "What have I gotten myself into?" Perhaps she wished the angel had stayed just long enough to tell her mother, too. He had told her not to fear. Can you imagine how often she had to remind herself of that? What's the real meaning of Christmas for you? Is it the awe and joy of being included? e doubt and wonder of social im- plications? Or is it perhaps, like Mary, a humble heart willing to believe His promises and follow God's plan? Christmas: Beyond the card by DAN DEBRULER FAITH Photo courtesy of Pexels Photo courtesy of Pexels