Anyone who’s been to a football game during the winter or fall knows how cold it can get. Most football stadiums are not covered or heated, leaving you exposed to the elements. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to stay warm and cozy at winter football games.
Here are 9 ways to stay warm at a football game:
- Layer up with warm clothes and wear a windbreaker.
- Wear wicking undergarments to absorb moisture.
- Wear mittens instead of gloves.
- Use chemical or electric hand warmers.
- Wear earmuffs, a scarf, and a hat.
- Eat a hearty meal beforehand (and bring snacks).
- Order hot drinks (like hot chocolate).
- Protect your face and lips with Vaseline.
- Stay active and move around.
This guide will go over these tips in detail and explore a few additional tricks that can help. If you’re a hardcore football fan looking for ways to stay warm during winter games, read on.
Pro-tip: The easiest way to warm up fast at a football game is to use heavy-duty hand warmers. They’re guaranteed to fill your gloves and socks with heat – which is where the cold bites most when you’re watching the game. For fast, easy relief from frigid winter temperatures, check out the best heavy-duty hand warmers on Amazon now.
Layer up with warm clothes and wear a windbreaker.
To keep yourself warm and cozy, protect all parts of your body, starting with your torso, with multiple layers of warm clothing. When your core is warm, your body sends blood to your feet, hands, and other extremities. However, when your torso is cold, your body stops sending blood around your body in an effort to keep your vital organs warm.
One way to layer up and protect your torso is to wear four layers: An undershirt, a winter shirt, a sweater, and a windbreaker. Wearing a windbreaker will shield you from wind chill, which makes it feel colder than it really is.
Wear warm socks and waterproof winter boots. Although jackets usually only protect the upper half of your body, both men and women can wear long leggings or underwear under their pants to help them stay warm.
If allowed, bring along a fleece blanket. A blanket is versatile, and you can do many things with it, such as using it as a seat cover if your glutes feel cold when you sit down. The good thing about a blanket is that you can take it off if you start to feel too hot.
Wear wicking undergarments to absorb moisture.
In addition to wearing warm outer layers, it’s important to wear wicking undergarments. Moisture-wicking materials like spandex help wick away sweat and moisture from your body, leaving you dry and cozy underneath.
Wear long-sleeve undershirts or t-shirts, full-length leggings, and socks that are made from wicking material. Compression shirts like these Athlio Cool Dry T-Shirts will wick away moisture and improve air circulation.
Swap your gloves for mittens.
It goes without saying that you should be wearing some kind of hand protection instead of just shoving your hands inside your pockets. However, using mittens instead of gloves can help you get an additional layer of warmth.
Gloves have separate pockets for each finger, while mittens have one pocket for all fingers (besides the thumb, which usually has its own pocket to allow you to hold things). Since your fingers will be in one pocket, they will be able to provide heat to each other and warm each other up. It’s kind of like a bunch of people in a small room — the room will heat up quickly due to the warmth being released by each body.
Use chemical or electric hand warmers.
Hand warmers can be placed inside your pockets, gloves, or shoes to protect your fingers and toes from the cold. There are two types of warmers: Chemical warmers and battery-powered warmers.
Chemical warmers like these HOTNWARMER Disposable Hand Warmers use chemical reactions to produce heat. Simply shake the pouches and insert them into your gloves, mittens, pockets, or boots. The heat will last for up to 20 minutes, but you can take them out and reactivate them by shaking them.
It’s important to keep the heat pads inside their pouches. The pouches are designed to protect your skin from getting burned. If you take the heat pads out, the heat will be too strong for your sensitive skin.
Battery-powered electric hand warmers last much longer than chemical ones. These warmers are rechargeable, and many have a few different heat settings, giving you more control and flexibility. If you are concerned about the environmental impact of using disposable chemical hand warmers, use an electric warmer.
Protect your head, face, and ears.
If your head and ears are left to freeze, you will feel colder and more uncomfortable. Most of you are probably already wearing some kind of winter hat, but many people forget to cover their ears as well. Whether you are wearing earmuffs, a scarf, or a hat that covers your ears, make sure your ears are not exposed to the cold and wind.
You might want to wear a hoodie or jacket that comes with a hood. Not only will this protect your head and ears, but it will keep your face and neck warm.
Eat a meal beforehand and bring snacks.
Eating will help you stay warmer because your body produces heat and energy when metabolizing and digesting food. In particular, eat foods that are high in fats or carbs. Foods that are harder to digest will also help you stay warm.
That’s why ice cream can actually heat up your body. Although you will feel a little colder at first, your body will soon warm up in an effort to metabolize the extra fat. Beer can also make you warmer.
Before you go to a game, make sure to eat a filling meal. This way, your body will be busy digesting that meal throughout the game. In addition, bring snacks to the game (if allowed) or buy some at the stadium.
Order hot drinks like hot chocolate.
If you’re feeling chilly, a hot drink can help you warm up quickly. You will be able to buy hot drinks like hot chocolate in many stadiums during the winter. As mentioned, beer also helps you stay warm, though it may not be available for purchase depending on what kind of football game you are at.
With drinks, however, it is important to keep things in moderation. If you drink too much, you may need to urinate a lot. There’s nothing worse than missing the best parts of a game because you have to keep rushing to the bathroom. Everyone is different, and only you will know how much liquid you can handle before you’ll feel a need to urinate every 10 minutes.
Protect your face and lips with vaseline.
We mentioned protecting your skin with mittens, earmuffs, and scarves, but Vaseline can also help shield your skin from the wind and keep it warm. In addition, it will protect it from getting dry, chafe, and uncomfortable.
Slather Vaseline on your face and lips before the game. Consider applying it to your hands and ears as well. If you don’t have Vaseline, you can use a thick moisturizer and lip balm.
Stay active and move around.
Finally, stay active! Move around, clap, and cheer on your team. Staying active will help keep your body warm. In addition, you’ll become more wrapped up in the game, which will help keep your mind off the cold.
Conclusion
There you have it — nine tips for staying warm at football games, even when the weather is brutally cold. You don’t have to suffer just because you’re a hardcore NFL fan. By wearing the right clothing and doing a few tricks like using hand warmers and eating before you go to the game, you will feel warm and toasty from the beginning of the game until the end.
Jake is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania who enjoys writing about science and sports. When he’s not writing for Temperature Master, he can be found watching the NFL or playing basketball with his friends.