Well, here we are again, SUPERBOWL WEEK is here! The thrill of the gridiron, combined with fairly low temperatures (at least low for this SoCal girl) is going to make for an interesting Super Bowl Sunday. Now, while I am certainly no football player, I have been running in the cold before, therefore I feel like I can offer these professional football players a few tips on what they can do to win the Superbowl when it’s cold out!
Cold Tip #1: Dress in layers
While I’m sure those fancy tackle pads and tight pants are usually warm enough in your respective hometowns, you’re going to New York….in January….and it’s basically been snowing for an entire month. With temperatures expected to be at or below freezing, the more breathable layers you can wear the better. When you sweat, that sweat needs to go somewhere or else it’s going to stay on your skin and lower your body temperature. Breathable layers allow sweat to get off of your skin, and gives you a better chance of staying warm.
Cold Tip #2: Know the Signs of Hypothermia
It’s going to be a long day, and while some of the following symptoms may seem like they’d be a result of a long day on the field, you might want to double check that it’s not something more serious. Signs of hypothermia include:
Shivering
Clumsiness or lack of coordination
Slurred speech or mumbling Stumbling
Confusion or difficulty thinking Poor decision making, such as trying to remove warm clothes
Drowsiness or very low energy
Apathy or lack of concern about one’s condition
Progressive loss of consciousness
Weak pulse
Slow, shallow breathing
Cold Tip #3: Halftime Show Must Haves
if your coach is going to rant at you in the locker room on what you should be doing better on the field, take an opportunity to make sure you do an outfit swap into dry clothes – going back onto the field in wet clothes is what I’d call a “wardrobe malfunction” and could result in a 10 yard penalty! Want some hot cocoa while you’re at it to warm your internal body temperature? Great idea! As an alternative, you can always try a steaming version of your favorite electrolyte drink (I’ve never tried this, so I can’t tell you if the Lime flavor tastes as good warm as it does chilled).
Cold Tip # 4: That Gatorade shower probably isn’t a great idea
Let’s face it, you might end up accidentally shocking your coach’s system a little more than the usual “oh look, I’m covered in yellow electrolyte beverage” surprise – wait until you hit the locker room. Dousing someone in water in the frigid temps can cause a quick drop in body temperature, and can cause your coach to get really cranky since they’ll have to stay on the field to receive the trophy (which seems to take FOREVER!); and let’s face it, if you win the Super Bowl, you’d probably want your coach to be able to hold that pretty, shiny trophy up for everyone to see.
So that’s my advice to winning the Superbowl. Best of luck to both teams (as of last week, I thought the Patriots were going…whoops)
Last year, The Huffington Post did a terrific “gatorade dunking technique” post that you can use to “study up” on the various ways you too can dunk your coach (once it warms up, of course).