Afternoons spent relaxing by the pool…cool drinks sipped on the porch…a book read while swinging in the hammock…ah summer, those lazy, languid days of summer. Yeah, right! More and more our summers are spent running from one thing to the next: swim lessons for the kids, client meetings, trips to the grocery store and that’s all on our lunch hour. If you’re lucky you can fit in a few isometric exercises waiting in traffic or perhaps squeezing in a few laps at the pool during adult swim. Summertime often means fitting exercise in when, where and however we can.

Fortunately summer and exercise go well together: the longer days give you more time to get out and move and the warm weather allows for outdoor activities encouraging a change in your routine keeping things fresh.

However, while summer provides more opportunities for more exciting activities, there are also more opportunities for exercise-induced issues. To help ensure you have fun and stay safe this summer, there are a few rules for hot weather exercise to keep in mind.


Workout early in the morning or late at night.

Exercising in the afternoon, in the heat of the day, (3pm is often the hottest part of the day) puts a lot of stress on your body. Your heart has to work hard to provide the blood and oxygen to the exercising muscles, while at the same time shunting blood to the skin where it can be cooled by the evaporation of our sweat. For every degree the body’s internal temperature rises the heart beats approximately 10 BPM faster.

So try setting your alarm a half-hour earlier and get in a run before your day even starts. Early morning exercise is a great way to jump-start your metabolism and your day. Or, if early activity is not your thing, you can always go for a post-dinner bike ride around your neighborhood. Just be sure not to exercise within two hours of bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.

Drink lots of water

Water, water and more water! Staying hydrated is vital while exercising in the summer. Getting dehydrated is not fun. Headaches, heat exhaustion or sunstroke are all potential uncomfortable and even dangerous side effects of dehydration.

To avoid dehydration be sure to drink 8-12 oz. of water 20-30 minutes prior to exercise plus 6-10 oz. of additional liquids for every 30 minutes of exercise. For most individuals, water is best. No fancy drinks are needed unless your exercise sessions exceed an hour and your fluid and electrolyte loss is extensive and chronic: sports drinks add unnecessary sodium and calories to your diet.

Dress appropriately

While looking good during exercising is always imperative, it’s also important to dress for the temperature and the activity. Obviously rubber suits or long sleeved sweat suits, which prevent evaporation of sweat, are not appropriate for summer. These items interfere with the body’s ability to cool itself and can raise body temperatures to dangerously high levels. Be sure to wear loose fitting cotton (or other breathable fabric) clothes and a hat. Covering your head with a loose, billed hat is an easy way to keep cool. And remember to pour water over your head periodically (if possible).

Acclimate

You will have a greater tolerance for the heat if you take the time to become accustomed to the heat slowly. If you live in an area where the weather is highly variable and it seems if all of a sudden it’s summer, then acclimate by doing your outdoor works in short segments, gradually lengthen the time you are outside. So if you normally take a two-hour run each Saturday morning, break the runs up into 30-minute segments, recovering and re-hydrating between workout sessions. Within a month or so you will have built up your heat tolerance and can continue with your two-hour runs without problem.

Know when not to exercise

There are times when going out and exercising would do more harm than good. To keep yourself healthy, it’s essential to know what not to do:

* Do not exercise vigorously in temperatures over 32 degrees Celsius (C) (90 degrees Fahrenheit) or in high humidity (over 75%).

* Do not participate in strenuous swim workouts in heated pools during the summer. Even though you are in the water, you can still become dehydrated and overheated when swimming. For hard swim workouts, the water temperature should be no more than 26 degrees Celsius. And, the same water drinking rules apply – keep hydrated.

* Do not keep exercising if you feel dizzy, faint and/or nauseous. If you do, rest in the shade and sip some water until you recover. This is not a time when you want to “push through” the pain, doing so and you risk developing heat stroke, an even more serious condition than heat exhaustion.

* Do not exercise when the air pollution index is high. Air pollution can damage your lungs.

If any of these conditions exist, just sit back with that book and relax on the hammock, you deserve it. Or, you could always go to the gym…

However, if you just can’t stand to be indoors while the sun is shinning, you need to be aware of the symptoms and treatments of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion occurs when the body is not able to maintain normal functions because of the excessive loss of body fluids and salts. It’s your body’s way of protecting itself from getting even hotter.

Symptoms can include:

* Heavy sweating
* Intense thirst
* Dizziness
* Loss of coordination
* Nausea and/or vomiting
* Cool, moist skin
* Weak and rapid pulse

Treatment:

* Get to a shaded and/or cool area immediately.
* Lie down and elevate your feet.
* Apply wet cloths to your body.
* Drink water or watered-down electrolyte drinks.
* Stop exercising and avoid strenuous activity for the rest of the day.
* If symptoms persist, go to the doctor!

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is much more serious – this is a life-threatening emergency. At this point your body is unable to cool itself and if not treated you could experience serious mental and physical damage.

Symptoms can include:

* Body temperature of 105° or higher
* Red, dry, very hot skin
* Dilated pupils
* Strong and rapid pulse
* Extreme disorientation
* Unconsciousness and possibly convulsions

Treatment:

* Seek immediate medical attention!
* Until medical attention arrives, move to a shaded place and/or cooler area.
* Loosen your clothing.
* Sponge body with cool water or if possible, wrap yourself in a wet t-shirt.
* Do not drink anything –not even water.

The bottom line is, listen to your body. You want to challenge yourself and make your workouts count, but you don’t want to go past that point of no return. The old adage “no pain, no gain” does not apply while exercising in the heat. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you.



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