How Should You Go About Exercising in the Heat?
As I write this blog entry on exercising in the heat, it’s 107 degrees and the sun is beating down relentlessly in Austin, TX. In fact, when I woke up at 6 this morning, it was already 82 degrees and extraordinarily humid. There’s a good chance that wherever you live, it’s pretty warm outside right now. Exercise can be tricky enough as it is with a million pitfalls to avoid, but how do you go about exercising in the heat?
I’m a longtime personal trainer in Austin. It’s a very warm climate that I live in, as previously mentioned, and it gets very hot during the summer. In fact it’s usually rather warm beginning in May, and lasting all the way through the fall. Last year on Halloween, it was over 90 degrees. So do Texans have to stay indoors or avoid exercise during these hot months? Of course not. Common sense must prevail. Altering strategies, goals, as well as changing up routines coupled with the aforementioned common sense approach will allow you to be safely exercising in the heat.
Clothing is obviously a consideration. Breathable clothing is in order, especially the type that wicks away sweat. Light colors are favorable over darker colors as the tend not to absorb heat as readily. Protecting the skin from the suns dangerous and powerful UV rays is a consideration as well, so long sleeved shirts are a good idea.
Hydration is essential. There’s the sweeping statement that everyone needs 8 glasses of water per day. Obviously, we all have different hydration requirements, but suffice it to say, that they increase dramatically when we are exercising in the heat. Another thing we can do to aid staying hydrated when it’s hot out, is to limit our intake of sodium on days when we are exercising.
Another necessary tactic to employ when you are exercising in the heat, is to modify what you are doing at times. For example, if you normally go for an evening run, perhaps consider doing it when it’s significantly cooler, such as early in the morning. You may also need to back off your goals a little bit as well. If you normally ride your bike 50 miles on a good day, you may decide that 25 or so is sufficient because of the heat.
As long as I’ve been a personal trainer in Austin, I’ve always been preaching the necessity of developing feel. People always get wrapped up in numbers. How many reps and sets? How many minutes should you exercise? No sweeping statements and formulas are going to give you the correct answer. Obviously, you want enough, but too much exercise, especially when exercising in the heat, is a bad idea and can furthermore be dangerous. Heat stroke is a serious condition, but even more so, are heart attacks. If you feel faint, dizzy, nauseous, weak, etc, go inside and cool down. Exercising in the heat is not a problem if you listen to your body, and use some common sense.
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Andy
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