Barbeques, three-day weekends, blockbuster movies. Oh, and don’t forget about the stifling heat that leaves you in a constant state of sweat. You may wind up forgoing the barbecue for an air-conditioned paradise and possibly replacing your outdoor runs with crowded gym routines – or worse – skipping exercise altogether. Don’t let the heat break your spirit! With just a few steps, you can have a fighting chance to beat the heat. And with some background knowledge, you’ll be able to recognize and handle heat illness, should you lose the fight.
Acclimate yourself to the environment. Humans can adapt quickly to heat stress, says Michael Sawka, an adjunct professor in the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Institute of Technology. So while that early June jog may have left you heaving, don’t give up. Tone down the intensity and duration, and weave in several breaks, but continue regular outdoor workouts so your body becomes better at handling the heat. As your tolerance improves over the next week or two, start rebuilding your routine to where it was on those glorious 70-degree days
Hydration. About 20 or 30 minutes before your workout, drink 8 to 12 ounces of water, and tack on another 6 to 10 ounces for every additional 30 minutes of exercise, writes Gordon Blackburn, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Cardiac Rehabilitation, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation Program, in a post for the hospital’s website. Consume water throughout the day (not just when you’re thirsty), and snack on water-rich foods, like fruit.
Consider the time of day you exercise. Opt for workouts in the early mornings or evenings when the heat is less intense. But remember: If you’re running after dark, be extra safe. Wear a bright, reflective outer layer so others can see you, and ditch the headphones so you’re more aware of your surroundings. Learn more about running safety.
Dress Appropriately. Lightweight, loose-fitting clothes help sweat evaporate, according to the Mayo Clinic, so go for light-colored cotton T-shirts, shorts and, if possible, brimmed hats. And don’t be shy with the sunscreen.
Take it Inside. I am all for challenging workouts and sweat-fests, but if you’re concerned with your health, bring it indoors. Shorten your time in the sun by perhaps stretching, warming up and cooling down inside, and doing only the core of your workout outside. Or bring the whole routine inside. Even if you don’t have a gym membership, numerous exercises can be done anywhere, such as yoga, bodyweight strength training and simply running up and down the stairs.
Learn the risk factors of heat illness. Particularly young and old people, as well as people who are overweight, have a low level of physical fitness or are dehydrated, are predisposed to heat illness. If you have certain health conditions, such as a fever or viral infection, or are simply not acclimated to the heat, you’re more at risk, too. Warning signs of heat illness include nausea, headache and dizziness, among others.
Aggressively treat heat illness. Sawka, who is also a former chief of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division, lists the levels of heat illness, in order of increasing severity: heat exhaustion, heat injury and heatstroke. Most incidences wind up being heat exhaustion, which people can recover from quickly. Often, folks confuse heat exhaustion with heatstroke, and that’s fine, Sawka says, because, “any time you have a heat illness, you should think of the worst and be aggressive in treating that person.”