Healthy Exercise In The Summer Heatby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 29 Jul 2007 02:50 PM The hottest days of summer may require you to modify your usual workouts just a bit. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy and safe while you exercise this summer. Staying Cool
- Take a cold shower before you exercise. A German study found that cooling your body down before your workout can help lower your core temperature, your skin temperature, and your heart rate.
- Adjust your jogging or walking route to stay in the shade.
- Check the Weather Channel or other forecasts to find the best time of the day to exercise.
- Pick dirt or gravel paths for your walk, run, or bike ride. Asphalt and concrete can reflect the sun's rays and radiate heat, making you feel even hotter.
- Head out with the wind at your back, so when you turn around to come home, you'll have a cooling breeze in your face.
- Choose a visor or vented helmet instead of a hat or full helmet -- the sun will stay out of your eyes, your head will be protect, but you'll still be able to vent heat.
- Drink plenty of water!
Know Your Limits
- Pay attention to your heart rate -- this is when a heart monitor comes in very handy! If you push yourself too hard in hot weather, you raise your risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Don't have a heart monitor? Try the Pledge of Allegiance. If you have to stop every three words (or less) to breathe, you're working too hard.
- Always wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days!
- Do your regular cardio at a slightly slower pace. Every five minutes, do a 30 second burst of speed. This will make sure you burn the same amount of calories without exhausting yourself or overwhelming yourself.
- Choose a healthy post-workout snack, like frozen fruit, Jell-O with fruit chunks, or a smoothie. You'll get plenty of carbs and liquids, and fruit is easy to digest.
- Have you lost a lot of salt? Choose a sports drink like Gatorade or a veggie drink like V8.
exercise, heat wave, summer exercise, staying cool
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