Guidelines to Summer Fitness Safety

People who enjoy outdoor summer workouts should be wary of high heat. Make sure to observe these simple summer fitness safety guidelines.

During heavy workouts, a body can generate up to 20 times the amount of heat it would normally produce. Coupled with hot summer weather and high humidity creates a potentially deadly combination.

Heat exhaustion while working out is a very real threat in the summer months and it is important to be aware of the dangers and signs. However, with a few suggestions you can minimize the danger of summer workouts. Summer fitness safety is something that can be followed without too much of a jolt to your routine.

Stay Hydrated

Most fitness experts and doctors will tell you that keeping your body hydrated is important all year long. Those needs increase greatly during the warmer months. You should drink plenty of fluids before, during, and even after the workout. Water is the best but sports drinks help to replace the electrolytes your body will use. Remember to avoid caffeine and alcohol as these drinks will dehydrate you, having the opposite effect of what you want. Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water or sports drink at least one hour before exercising. Make sure to keep something to drink with you while you are exercising.

When to exercise

The best times to workout during the summer are in the early morning or evening. Since the hottest parts of the day are between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. you should limit your outdoor activity during these times. If your only option is to workout in peak hours stick to low impact exercises such as yoga, swimming, and low-intensity cardio. Also consider exercising indoors where it is air-conditioned.

According to fitness expert Rachael Lowry, "The heart forces bodies to work up to four times harder to move blood because when your body heats up your vessels dilate."

Dilated vessels force your heart to work harder at pushing blood where it is needed. This can cause any number of heat related conditions including: cramps, heat exhaustion, heart attack or stroke.

What to watch for

There are several signs of heat related conditions that one can be on the look out for.
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion can show up suddenly and include:

Feeling faint
Nausea
Heavy sweating
Ashen appearance
Rapid, weak heartbeat
Low blood pressure
Cool, moist skin
Low-grade fever

If you or someone you encounter is dealing with these symptoms there are a few things that can be done to help them.

Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
Have the person lay down on their back while you elevate their legs and feet.
Restrictive clothes can cut off precious blood flow, make sure to remove or loosen the restrictive clothing.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! Sports drinks which contain electrolytes will help but the best thing to give someone suffering from heat exhaustion is water.
Attempt to cool the person by misting or sponging them with cool water while fanning. This will promote perspiration which helps the body cool down.
Watch the person very carefully for more serious symptoms such as: fever greater than 102 F, fainting, confusion, or seizures. Dial 911 immediately if these symptoms appear.

Helpful Hints

Make sure to avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Wearing light-colored clothes will help your body keep cool by reflecting the heat more efficiently than darker-colored clothing.

Just remember that exercising in hot weather has been shown to be less effective. So you are not getting the workout you believe just because you are sweating more. Too much heat keeps your body from reaching a maximum intensity because it is focused more on staying safe. When your body is overheated you are also at a much greater risk of muscle injury.
Drink more water than you believe you may need. If you think it is too much it probably isn't.

If you absolutely must workout during peak hours of heat, try slowly acclimatizing your body to the heat. Sit outside for a few minutes and let your body get used to the change in temperature. Once circulation improves and your body slows down in response to the heat you should be better able to exercise safely. Be patient!

Lowry suggests, "Give yourself time to build up your resistance to the heat. Start by exercising in the early evening or late morning, slowly getting used to working out in the heat. This will help your body to cope when you decide to take that mid-day marathon run."