Why Do We Shiver When We’re Cold?

When it's cold, our bodies shiver to keep us warm. Shivering is like a little dance inside your body, your muscles move quickly and then stop, creating heat. It’s like when you jump around after coming out of the pool: your body warms up as you move.

Why does this happen?

When it's cold, your body senses that its temperature is dropping. To warm itself back up, your brain tells your muscles to shake rapidly. This shaking makes your body produce more heat, helping you stay alive and comfortable in the cold.

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Examples

  1. When you step out of the bathtub on a cold morning, your body starts to shiver as it tries to warm up again.
  2. Your dog shakes its whole body after getting out of the snow, just like humans shiver when they’re cold.
  3. If you leave your drink outside in the winter and it freezes, your body might start shivering too, just like it would if you were sitting outside.

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