By Afsheen Irshaad
How to exercise in the summer heat? This is the first question that pops up in our minds when summers knock at our doors. Exercise in the heat is risky but these risks can be minimized if we follow these tips.
How to Exercise in the Summer Heat
1- Plan and Prepare
Plan your exercise by checking the weather forecast, temperature, humidity, and heat index, high heat index means that take extreme caution. Plan them near water bodies or shady tracks with trees. Prepare for going outdoors for exercise by taking a cold shower, and try to keep your hair wet and moist. Drink a few glasses of plain water before leaving. Always carry extra water, some snacks, and sports drink if you intend to exercise for more than an hour.
2- A Date without Hot Summer
As for this date, timing is very important, the preferable time is before 10 am and after sunset. This is one of the most important tips to remember before planning to go for exercise.
3- Trendy and Cool Look
Always opt for light-colored, lightweight, sweat-absorbable clothes. A brimmed hat and shades add to your charm. This can give you a perfect trendy and cool look.
4- Skin-care and Protection
Skin is the part of your body that takes most of the toll from sunlight and heat during exercise, the most worrisome issue here being Sunburn. To avoid this, apply waterproof sunscreen preferably SPF 50 with titanium and zinc oxide. Carry your sunscreen because you might repeatedly need to apply it. Its effect lasts only for 2 hrs.
5- Physics and Physiology
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Exercise will cause a rise in body temperature and more blood to flow towards your skin which causes sweating and lowers the body temperature when outside air evaporates and cools down the body. Whenever this equilibrium is disturbed and mostly happens when the humidity factor is high, it leads to a rise in body temperature and sweating with loss of body minerals potassium, sodium, and important electrolytes. And that is when we feel dehydrated. If at this point, you continue with your exercise and do not hydrate your self you might suffer Heat exhaustion and ultimately Heat Stroke, the latter is a serious medical condition and can cause death.
6- Know Your Limits
Stop your exercise when you feel sick, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps cold clammy skin, sweating, and rapid weak pulse are all signs of dehydration. Confusion, incoherent speech, throbbing headache, high temp and rapid strong pulse, and fast heart rate means you are having a heatstroke. Do know and understand them. If you feel any of these stop your exercise.
7- Hunt for other Options
High temperature and humidity are at times an obstacle to carrying out your routine exercise regime, hunt out for other options, gyms, swimming pools, if you are near the beach, water surfing, and water skiing are few to mention. Still, if you don’t opt for these a walk-in mall can nurture your craving for exercise.
8- Enjoy the Summer Rains
Rainy summers shouldn’t be an obstacle to your fitness regime, enjoy your rain walks. It helps to relax you, helps to concentrate and focused. Also, it helps to fall asleep easier.
9- Shorten Your Exercise
If it’s too hot then shorten the duration of your exercise, and never ever try to test your physical endurance. So, work out regularly according to your ease in the right way.
10- Home Safe Home
Once back home, take a shower, change and weigh yourself, the difference is the amount of fluid loss. Try to replenish the lost fluid with simple water and not sodas, or caffeine. Always check the color of your urine, darker colors indicate you need to hydrate yourself.
Life is all about the choices you make and the actions you take. Always choose wisely when it comes to your health. Health is wealth and to treasure this priceless asset, and save it act cautiously. Food is a basic need for survival and exercise is a necessity for this need, eat healthily and exercise because a healthy body is the best place to live in.