With summer heat upon is, taking your workouts outside is not only more difficult, it can potentially also be much more dangerous, if not deadly. Especially if you’re not accustomed to working out when it’s hot out, you can easily overdo your body’s ability to regulate its temperature, and you run the risk of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Here’s some safety tips for hot weather workouts.
Watch the Weather – When you workout, your body temperature naturally increases. Hot weather can magnify this, and your body compensates by sweating. The hotter out that it is, the harder your body has to work to attempt to modulate your body temperature, and humidity increases this problem. When you sweat, the evaporation of that sweat is what cools you down, and in humid weather, sweat doesn’t evaporate as fast. So, your heart rate increases as your body tries to cool off.
If the temperature is going to be high, and even more so if the humidity level is expected to rise, you may want to either scale back your workout, or move it to the evening after sunset when things cool down a bit. Or move your workouts to just after sunrise – the humidity levels will be down, and it’ll be cooler out.
Wear Proper Clothing – You want to look for light weight, light colored, sweat wicking clothing. There is a wide variety of performance clothing designed for this – investing in proper workout clothing can help you stay safe, while also improving your workouts.
You’ll also want to look for UV blocking sunglasses, and use plenty of water-resistant sunscreen of a SPF 30 or higher. Keep in mind that if you’re sunburned, your body has a harder time cooling yourself!
No Matter What – Stay Hydrated! – As mentioned above, your body produces sweat to keep your core body temperature from going too high. The better hydrated you are, the easier your body can keep you cool! Think of this like your car. If your radiator runs out of water, your car will overheat and break down. The same applies to your body and hydration.
Besides drinking plenty of water, water-rich foods including crisp lettuce, watermelon, grapefruit, broccoli and tomatoes can also help your hydration levels. And, try weighing yourself before and after your workouts. Replace each pound of water lost with 2-3 cups of water.
Warning Signs of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke – Dehydration and over exertion can easily bring on heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Signs of heat exhaustion include:
- Heavy sweating
- Muscle cramps
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dark urine
- Cool, moist skin
- Your pulse rate may be slow and weak. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke.
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. Body temperature may rise to 105°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Signs of heat stroke include:
- Dry, hot skin (no sweating)
- Rapid, weak pulse
- Confusion
- A body temperature of above 105°F
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
If you see someone with any warning signs of heat stroke, call 911 immediately, then cool the victim however you can (for example, move him/her to a shady spot or an air-conditioned location, or wet his/her skin with a sponge or hose).
The best way to avoid these hot weather issues, is to exercise indoors in your own home gym. Whether you prefer cardio workouts, strength workouts, or both, Fitness 4 Home Superstore has the fitness industry’s top lines of both new and pre-owned home fitness equipment. Stop into any of our three Phoenix area locations to check out our full selection of home fitness equipment!
