Staying Cool – Photo Credit: vibevixen.com
In the heat of the moment you may not actually realize how hot or how high the temperature is outside; so, when deciding if you are going to go exercise in the extreme temperatures of summer you need to be careful. Not surprisingly, summer is rampant with cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and ultimately fatigue because they are not maintaining a high level of hydration while outside. Medicine Net released a list of 15 ways to avoid these common problems during summer:
- Take advantage of cooler times such as early evening or morning to exercise
- Wear loose-fitting clothing
- Cotton clothing will generally keep you much cooler than other fabrics
- Fill a spray bottle with water and exercise with it to keep yourself cool
- Fans can help circulate air after you get in from a work-out to help you cool down
- Store lotion or cosmetic toners in the refrigerator to use for overtired feet
- Keep plastic bottles of water frozen; they’ll melt as you run and leave you with ice-cold water!
- Take a bath or shower immediately after exercise to cool your body down
- Combat dehydration by drinking plenty of water along with the help of sports drinks such as Gatorade
- Buy a small battery-powered fan to take with you on long exercise runs
- If you are wearing a hat or head-wear, pour some ice-cold water in and put it back on your head for immediate cool down
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol as this promotes dehydration
- Try eating smaller/healthier snacks before exercise in the sun, as this will be a better fuel for your body
- Try to get into a cool location after any type of exercise whether it be public or your own home
- Finally, use common sense. If the heat is absolutely intolerable; just wait till you can find a better time to do exercise without the risk of dangerous conditions.
