# Need to warm up digits, steadily



## Ajax Bay (3 Jan 2021)

I'm pulling this across from a 'sticky gears' thread - what's the best way to get warmth and feeling back into digits (ETA: fingers and toes) once indoors at the end of a ride?


itboffin said:


> I had that today but it was because my fingers were so cold I couldn’t operate the shifters or brakes and even now 6 hours later they have that hot feeling





cyberknight said:


> I can't like that post . I haven't been out in a week due to the weather conditions as I [have] Reynauds so this weather is a no no on top of the obvious safety issues. I have spent times actually close to crying in pain in the shower as feeling returns to extremities.


I'm in a similar boat and the temperature has put me off going out (against my younger nature of 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going'). But my chilblains are complaining.
Rapid warming of pseudo-NFCI (eg by jumping in a shower) ends up with more damage to the tissue.
Caveat: this is all as I understand it (from a frostbitten (ie blisters) and multi frost-nipped and NFCI experience PoV). Maybe a medic CycleChatter can confirm or give (much) better and authoritative advice.
The first search hit offers: "it's helpful to rewarm it gradually because sudden rewarming of cold skin may worsen chilblains."


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## Darius_Jedburgh (3 Jan 2021)

Stick your hands under your armpits. Or better still stick them under soneone else's armpits - if she'll let you!!!


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## bikingdad90 (3 Jan 2021)

When you get cold your body pulls heat away from your limbs and towards your core and vital organs in order to survive. To avoid getting pains when rewarming it is important to do it slowly because otherwise the blood rushes away from the organs and doesn’t thank you for it causing the pain as the blood is getting pushed through narrowed blood vessels causing the pain.


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## rockyroller (3 Jan 2021)

no question, in opposing armpits







item #5

https://www.wikihow.com/Warm-Your-Hands


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## Donger (3 Jan 2021)

rockyroller said:


> no question, in opposing armpits


Any tips for getting your _feet _into your own armpits? I'm struggling here.


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## ColinJ (4 Jan 2021)

rockyroller said:


> no question, in opposing armpits





Donger said:


> Any tips for getting your _feet _into your own armpits? I'm struggling here.


Same advice... one at a time, opposing armpits!

I just checked that I can still do it - I can. What I failed to do was to take a photo of myself doing it...!


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## Moodyman (4 Jan 2021)

Drink some hot water as soon as you arrive at your destination. Two part boiling water and one part cold tap water or even 1:1.

A couple of glasses will warm your core, which will lead to widening of your blood capillaries and an increased blood flow to the extremities.

By the time you gather what you need for the shower, your extremities will be warmed up. No chilblains for me since I started this routine at work.


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## Ajax Bay (4 Jan 2021)

ColinJ said:


> [feet] one at a time, [under] opposing armpits!
> I just checked that I can still do it - I can. What I failed to do was to take a photo of myself doing it...!


Images! Or it didn't happen . I name you Yogi Dandasana AICMFP

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPYgqRKL7Zw

Finger warming is trivial. It's the toes that are the challenge.


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## rockyroller (4 Jan 2021)

Donger said:


> Any tips for getting your _feet _into your own armpits? I'm struggling here.


Oops, my bad, didn't address the 2nd part of your question. I'm guessing there's no in home companion under whose armpits you cold have stuck your toes under. not sure Wifey would let me, anyway. here's hoping you found a way to recover, by now

the only reason I knew about the armpit thing is because I made a dumb mistake a few weeks ago & was in trouble, out in my car, after an extended double-ride. got my hands wet & cold, the worst combo. eventually I tried the armpits, both simultaneously. glad I can still do that. at first I tried sitting on them, flexing them, then hand cream, used my heated steering wheel & warm air vents. I had no luke warm water to soak them in. they were painful & unresponsive, had a lot of trouble removing my helmet. but the armpits were the final desperate measure that actually finally seemed to be the best thing to do

the Mayo Clinic has some advice

prevention is better tho, right? ;-)

side note: my fingers warm as I ride, but my toes do not


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## ColinJ (4 Jan 2021)

Ajax Bay said:


> Images! Or it didn't happen . I name you Yogi Dandasana AICMFP


Ha ha!

I am generally very inflexible (touching toes not possible - touching mid-shin is my limit!) but I have always been able to get my feet into positions that most people can't...

Not a brilliant photo, but you'll get the idea!


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## Ajax Bay (4 Jan 2021)

Seriously impressed!!!! I guess if you have this as a party trick you're 'proud of', you maintain that flexibility. Use it or lose it.


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## ColinJ (4 Jan 2021)

Ajax Bay said:


> Seriously impressed!!!! I guess if you have this as a party trick you're 'proud of', you maintain that flexibility. Use it or lose it.


What impressed me once was when talking to a cyclist with various tools spread on the floor. She bent forward to pick one of them up and I commented on how flexible she was - I would have had to stoop down to reach. She then showed off by bending down again and putting the palms of her hands flat on the floor, and I don't think that she even found _that _difficult!


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## Ajax Bay (4 Jan 2021)

Back on topic 
This is for cold toes. Cold fingers (and ears) are generally easier to 'manage'.
I'd recommend trying to warm cold extremities slowly rather than in a warm shower. For feet/toes, dry as necessary as put on a warmed (on the radiator) pair of thickish socks and let the room temperature bring them back to +20 degrees, wiggling all the time (to encourage circulation). Then a tepid footbath (at roughly 40) and only then go in the shower. Have the shower on colder than normal just for your feet and filling the tray at first before turning up the dial (or increasing the hot water percentage). Fingers are much easier to warm steadily, indoors.
Rapid warming of very cold toes verging to NFCI (eg by jumping in a shower) ends up with more damage to the tissue.


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