07 Jul Six tips to exercise through a heatwave
Six tips to exercise through a heatwave
People in the Desert Southwest know all too well what it’s like to deal with temperatures in the 90s and even 100s.
But the heat wave that’s brought the mercury into the 90s in the Midwest recently is a little out of the ordinary.
For those people who wish to continue exercising, here are six tips to beat the heat wave:
* Exercise early or late – Although many people often exercise during the day or right after work, to beat the heat get up early or get your workout in at 8 p.m. or so when the temperatures are cooler.
* Move indoors – If it’s too hot, then move your workout indoors into the air conditioning. Run on a treadmill, use an elliptical machine and-or train with weights inside.
* Drink plenty of water – Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you feel thirsty to start consuming water or sports drinks. Once dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke set in they are tough to treat, but drinking enough fluids ahead of time can help prevent such problems.
* Wear the right clothing – Lightweight, light-colored clothing will help you stay cooler. A hat is also helpful. Purchasing athletic clothes made with fibers that wick moisture from the skin to clothing for easier evaporation is also helpful.
* Start slowly – Get yourself acclimated to the heat over time, especially if you‘re not used to extremely high temperatures.
* Use sunscreen – Use an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. You should prevent dangerous rays that can lead to skin cancer from hitting your skin. Sunburn is not only bad for your skin, but it also causes fluid loss and limits the body’s ability to cool itself. So sunscreen will help you stay a bit cooler.
* Go swimming – If you can’t beat the heat, then jump in the water to cool off. A great way to cross train is to go swimming.
At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com