If you are planning to exercise in hot or humid weather, there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind. Exercising itself is healthy but doing so when temperatures reach 90 degrees or higher can be dangerous. If you are insistent on working out outdoors, here are a few tips that will help you to protect yourself from overheating and possibly face critical medical issues.
1. Exercise early in the morning or late at night. Exercising when the sun is at its highest is just asking for trouble. If you are going to exercise outside, do so when the sun is coolest. This occurs during early morning or just before sundown. Avoid exercising from noon until around 4 pm.
2. Drink plenty of water. This is crucial to your health. You should be drinking at least eight glasses of water each day for optimal health anyway but if you are working out during a heat wave you need to add at least two more glasses each day. Anytime that you are walking outdoors or doing any outdoor activity during hot weather, be sure that you have a bottle of water nearby. Not only will this protect you from heat exhaustion and other illnesses, drinking water every day is just a good way to stay healthy.
3. Take a few breaks. If you normally give yourself a five minute break between exercises when working out, take another or two. You have to have time to rest, particularly on hot days. Find a shady area and sit down for five or ten minutes. The main thing to remember is that your body will tell you when it is time to rest. You should listen to it. There is nothing wrong with taking a short break and allowing yourself to re-energize before continuing your workout.
This article was written by Physio Room, the world’s leading sports injury website, providing education, features and products related to sports injuries and sports medicine.
