Tips for Staying Cool and Exercising Safely in the Summer
With the summer comes hot weather and lots of outdoor activities. While you are enjoying the time in the sun there are a few safety tips you should follow to stay safe.
The summer is perfect to go outside and exercise but it's also full of risks that seem obvious but can be quite harmful. The heat and sun are a deadly duo which can great affect your health. Taking time to follow some safety tips will make your run in the park healthy and safe.
First of all sweat is a wonderful thing in the heat according to experts from the Loyola University Health System. It helps regulate our body temperature and lets us cool off in 90 degree heat. While sweat is vital it is also not without its own problems. The researchers from Loyola note that as we sweat we become dehydrated which could pave the way for heat injury. Luckily the experts have a few things you can do to stay hydrated and reduce the risk of heat injury.
Before even stepping out the house there are plenty of things you can do to ensure safe exercising in the sun. Wear light colored clothing as dark colors tend to trap heat, making you hotter and increasing the risk of heat injury. After carefully selecting your wardrobe, check the humidity. Anything above 60 percent will make it more difficult to cool down as the sweat can't evaporate from your skin and into the air.
Don't step out of the door just yet. As always make sure you apply sunscreen to reduce the risk of skin cancer and make sure to reapply every couple of hours. Now that you've taken all the preventative steps and are ready to face the heat, remember to take things slow as you start off. Let your body get used to the temperature and gradually increase your workout. Make sure to cool down every once in a while as well and try to find some shade.
Remember to hydrate, hydrate and hydrate some more. Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise to reduce the risk of heat injury and keep your body from dehydrating.
Other factors to consider include medications such as stimulants may increase the risk of heat injury so be sure to ask your doctor about heat-related side effects. If you were sick recently and had a fever, try to avoid exercising in the heat. Fevers increase your body temperature and elevate the risk of heat injury even before the exercise begins.
Following these tips from the experts at Loyola will make exercising in the sun safe and healthy. Even if you're not exercising, taking precaution in the sun is important and following these tips will make the hot days bearable.