It’s a familiar, if uncomfortable, little shiver that creeps up your fingers or toes even under a warm duvet in the middle of fall. Should you be worried? Is it just a physical oddity, or a warning sign? Spoiler: Both are conceivable. But the good news is that there are simple ways to stay warm and, more significantly, to understand what your body is telling you.

There’s no reason to be concerned if your feet freeze to ice crystals when you step outside in 5°C weather or if you spend the evening on the couch without moving. It’s a natural reaction: the body protects its important organs by decreasing blood flow to “lower priority” locations. What was the result? Your extremities suffer a little. When you’re nice and warm, everything usually returns to normal.

When you sleep poorly, everything in your body slows down, including your circulation. Even in mid-May, you may experience fatigue and coldness.

Sedentary lifestyle

Sitting for hours without moving (hello, work-from-home days) can make your legs numb and your fingers freeze. Even a small movement can get things rolling again!

Nutritional deficits.

Skip meals or stick to a tight diet? The body enters “energy-saving” mode, and the extremities are frequently the first to be sacrificed.

Stress

Strong emotions are widely known to generate cold sweats… or even frozen fingers. The culprit is cortisol, which affects circulation.

Tobacco

In addition to its other effects, smoke weakens blood vessels. They are less flexible and react badly to cold—as your feet demonstrate.

An incorrect position.

Staying cross-legged or resting on one arm for too long can temporarily reduce circulation. Fortunately, simply changing positions can sometimes be enough to warm up.

When should you consider a health concern?

If this cold persists or is followed by additional symptoms such as very pale skin, numbness, or severe weariness, you should seek medical attention. Certain disorders could be disguised under these modest signs:

• Anemia: causes less oxygen to be carried, leading to greater chills.
• Raynaud’s syndrome: occurs when blood vessels constrict abnormally in the cold or under stress.
• Hypothyroidism: Slow metabolism causes a continuous sense of cold.
• Diabetes: frequently causes circulation issues.
• Heart failure: a little fatigued pump, and heat is sparse.

Our tips for warming up quickly and well

• Gently massage your feet to increase blood flow.
• Drink a hot, excellent tea or herbal tea and feel the warmth wash over you.