I think all of us have experienced the start of the cold weather this week. It can be a real issue for those if us with already aching muscles and joints.

For those of us with relatively new surgery scars it can be painful too!

So, is it just that we need to apply common sense when we venture out, or do we need to exercise a little more preventative caution?

From my own experience, it is often too late to do much prevention when we are already feeling the effects of cold. Some people fall victim because they are fashion concious and some because they are just ill-prepared. Feeling the cold means that you are at risk of suffering more pain and stress than you need to.

I do the school run each morning, and this week I have walked out of the house looking like I was accompanying Sir Ranulph on his latest arctic expedition. Did I care? Not a jot....because I was toasty warm and my muscles and joints didn't seize up because of the cold.

I wore warm socks and boots, good thick leather gloves, a neck sleeve that I use for mountain biking and a skull cap, all topped off with a winter goretex walking jacket. All colour coded so looked dashing at the same time ;)

I use the neck sleeve to keep the wind from whipping round my neck and causing local pain around my zipper. When the wind catches it it aches unbearably and saps my strength. Later on I would suffer with stiff muscles in my neck and then find it hard to get comfortable.

Even when plodding round the house before the heating kicks in I get joint and muscular pain - so think about using the central heating to give your home a good base level of heat.

It all sounds very simplistic and like I am trying to teach a few of you to suck eggs, but some of us just don't pay it enough attention and then wonder why we suffer?

Stay warm to keep those aches and pains away and to reserve the energy you need for just getting through the day.