Advice on Exercising in Summer
Exercising outdoors on a hot summer day can expose people to heat injury. The American Council on Exercise led by Dr. Cedric Bryant, the council’s chief science officer, advises that it is important to stay hydrated by drinking large amounts of fluids at least 30 minutes before exercise. Furthermore, one should also drink at least six ounces of fluids every 20 minutes during exercise and keep drinking until one is no longer thirsty after exercise. Dr Bryant believes that although water alone is good, it is best to take a sports drink if one is planning to exercise longer than one hour.
One will also benefit from acclimatization which involves gradually adapting the body to exercising in hot weather. This process usually takes 10 to 14 days and can help reduce one’s risk for heat injury. According to Bryant, when the body is acclimatized, one sweats sooner, produces more sweat and loses fewer electrolytes. It lowers body core temperature and decreases heart rate during exercise while reducing the risk of dehydration.
Other tips offered by the Council include reducing one’s exercise intensity level during the acclimatization period and avoiding the use of clothing that is impermeable to water such as rubberized sweat suits. This kind of clothes increases the risk of heat injury by preventing the evaporation of sweat from the skin. They also warn people to consider foregoing exercise when it gets hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit and when there is more than 60 percent humidity.
Other common heat related illnesses include dehydration, sunburn, heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and water intoxication.
Source:
Use Caution When Exercising in Hot Weather. HealthDay. http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=665906