Outside Online spoke to experts including Dr. Jordan Metzl, MD, primary sports medicine physician at HSS, about how cold weather impacts your joints and muscles.

As the temperature drops, it can feel increasingly challenging to work out. The inside of your house is warm and cozy, but going outside brings unwelcome discomfort like frigid fingers and toes. Pair that with muscle soreness and joint stiffness that we tend to notice in the colder months, and it’s a wonder people work out at all in the winter.

“When it’s cold outside, our body uses thermoregulation to conserve heat in the most important areas, the vital organs,” explained Dr. Metzl. He added that to maintain your central body temperature, blood is directed to your core. Your blood vessels narrow in a process called vasoconstriction to conserve heat. You might start to involuntarily shiver, which is your body’s way of trying to generate warmth. Shivering causes your muscles tense up, which can lead to pain.

As emphasized by Dr. Metzl, physical activity is your most powerful defense against winter aches: “It’s important to keep the muscles and joints moving all year long, but particularly in the winter when there is less movement outside of sport participation."

Read the full article at outsideonline.com.