Training In The Heat

Summer is finally here, at least in Texas. The thermostat hit a bulb-breaking 105ºF on Friday, making it difficult to exercise anywhere. However, just because it is hot outdoors, that does not mean that we can not exercise there. It just means that we have to be a bit smarter about how we do it.

I enjoy being outside and exercising very much – but I don’t enjoy ending up in the Emergency Room. Or even worse: staying in the hospital because I have overdone my exercise.

When exercising in the heat, it is very easy to become overheated, dehydrated or worse - suffer from heat cramps/stroke. I will discuss the warning signs of these serious conditions later in the newsletter.

When exercising in the heat, it is very important to consume enough water and to also listen to your body for signs that you are overheating.

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While exercising, you need to drink 8-10 ounces of cool water every 20 minutes at a minimum. This amount should be higher if you are exercising at a very intense pace.

Notice, Fire Up Your Body did not say to drink, a soda, Kool-Aid™, tea or any other sugary drink. Your body needs plain water, good ole H2O! The reason is that the sugar and caffeine in those drinks can act as diuretics, removing vital water from your system and causing even more dehydration.

This is not good, because when exercising in the heat, your body needs all the fluids that it has in which to function properly.

When to exercise? Normally, the best time to exercise is any time that you can fit it in! In the summer, though, some times of day are better than others, especially if you want to exercise outside.

The best time to work out in summer is early morning or early-to-late evening, when temperatures are cooler and will allow you to exercise more safely. This is because the hottest part of the day is usually from around 2 p.m. until around 5 p.m. This may vary depending on your location.

Here are several warning signs of overheating, dehydration, and/or heat cramps/stroke:

• Pulse rate is rapid, even after taking an appropriate break for the exercise intensity.
  
• Cold, clammy skin or in more severe cases Dry-hot skin
  
• Muscle cramps
  
• Feeling of weakness
  
• You are no longer sweating or are sweating very little
  
• Dizziness
  
• Nausea
  
• Vomiting
  
• You are not thirsty
  
• You have not urinated in the past hour
  

Be aware of how you feel while exercising, and if you notice any of these signs, stop exercising immediately and seek professional medical care. Also, move into a cooler environment.

It is warming up outside, but we can still exercise in the great outdoors. We just have to be smarter and pay closer attention to our bodies. Now I think it is time for me to go outside and play with the Kettle bells for awhile.

Now where did I put my water?