Exercising In The Heat
Yippie, It’s offically summer!!! With this sunshine and warm weather comes lots of outdoor exercise. Exercising in the heat can be challenging. When it gets really hot out (even the fittest of us) should enjoy our outdoor workouts early in the morning. This is when it is cooler, and remember to keep hydrated all day long.
It is very easy to get dehydrated in high temperatures. Dehydration is defined as excessive loss of body water. We may be dehydrated before we realize it and it can be very dangerous!
Common signs of dehydration:
thirst
loss of appetite
dry skin
dark colored urine
dry mouth
fatigue or weakness
chills
head rush
What to do:
stop your activity and drink water or electrolyte replacement drink (Gatorade etc.)
get out of sun and into shade or AC if available
remove excess clothing and lay down, raise feet
Exercising In The Heat:
Vigorous exercise in high temperatures and humidity should be restricted to less than 30 minutes for youths (up to age 20). Children have a lower sweating rate therefore are not as efficient cooling themselves as healthy adults are.
The unfit will not be ready or able to effect the cooling mechanism of adequate perspiration.
The obese will be less able to release heat from their bodies, as they wear more naturally insulating adipose tissue, and sometimes excess clothing.
Dehydration is a cause of heat stroke
*Use common sense and keep aware of the people around you when the temperatures reach high numbers. And keep drinking water!
