Warmer weather may make you want to take your exercises outdoors, however, in extreme heat and without properly hydrating, it can be very dangerous.
What are some tips to exercise safely in hot weather?
Listen in as Tidelands Health senior exercise physiologist, Angie Hill, shares symptoms to look for when you're exercising outdoors in the heat.
Exercising Safely In Hot Weather
From the Show: Tidelands Health - Better Health Radio
Summary:
Air Date: 6/27/17
Duration: 10 Minutes
Transcription:
Bill Klaproth (Host): It’s great to exercise outdoors on warm summer days, but the heat can take its toll and put extra stress on your body. Here to talk with us about exercising safely in hot weather, is Angie Hill, an Exercise Physiologist at Tidelands Health. Angie, thanks for your time. Tell us, first how, how does heat affect our body when exercising outdoors?
Angie Hill (Guest): Well, first of all, it causes you to sweat more, and then the more that you sweat – whenever the sweat evaporates from your body, and you lose it, so you just lose the sweat more and become dehydrated.
Bill: So dehydration is one of the main concerns when exercising in hot weather?
Angie: Yes, yes.
Bill: What’s the first thing to remember then, when it comes to exercising in hot weather?
Angie: Okay, first of all, check the temperature before you go. It’s better to exercising early in the morning or in the evenings. You want to avoid going midday when the peak heat hits.
Bill: Try to stay out of the peak heat?
Angie: Yes.
Bill: That makes sense. Okay, so what else? Are there other tips for exercising safely in hot weather?
Angie: Sure, there is. You want to dress appropriately. Mainly just light clothes – light-colored clothes because the dark colors absorb the heat. Also, you can wear a hat if you need to. Especially if you are running in the sun, make sure you put some sunscreen on. And of course, drink plenty of fluids. Knowing where you’re at fitness-wise before you begin, so if you’re new to exercise, you don’t want to just go right out and run the mile in the hot weather. Get yourself acclimated to the weather before you do anything strenuous.
Bill: Okay, so know your limits and don’t overdo it if you’re not used to exercising outdoors?
Angie: Yes.
Bill: Okay, well those are really good tips. You mentioned hydration here, that’s very important. Are there rules to how much water you should drink?
Angie: Generally, if you’re exercising, the amount of water that you lose through sweat you should replace with water. Or even doing sports drinks, stuff like that, will get you hydrated quicker, is a good suggestion. And also, especially if you are going to go out for let’s say a longer run, it’s recommended to maybe put water throughout your trail.
Bill: So when you say replace the water that you lose during exercise, how do you know how much?
Angie: I guess the best way to figure that out would be to weigh yourself before you exercise and weigh yourself after. Generally, six to eight cups of water are recommended a day, but you’re going to want to increase that on the days that you are going to go outside.
Bill: Okay, that’s a great tip. Thanks for sharing that with us. Let me ask you this then, is there a danger of drinking too much water?
Angie: I have seen some studies on that, but I’m not – that’s not my expertise on that one. I do not know the exact answer to that.
Bill: You were saying earlier know your limitations, so knowing when to quit is probably a good idea then as well?
Angie: Yes, especially when you start to feel muscle cramps when you start to get dizzy, when you just start to feel nauseous. Those are just signs that you might be getting heat exhaustion or a heat stroke.
Bill: Yeah, so let me ask you that question then. We hear about heat exhaustion and heat stroke, is there a difference between the two?
Angie: Yes, a heat stroke is worse than heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is when your body temperature rises to a temperature of 104. The symptoms are pretty much the same, nausea, vomiting, weakness, fainting. Sometimes people become cold, and then sometimes people become really sweaty. The heat stroke would be the next step, and that’s when your temperatures exceed 104 degrees. Generally, on that, you usually have dry skin.
Bill: If you feel that’s happening or you recognize it in someone else, what are the immediate steps to take?
Angie: I would call 9-1-1. I mean, if you did not want to call 9-1-1, just make sure you get a sports drink in because that will help replenish the lost fluid, ice on the head, ice on the neck, things to help bring that body temperature back down.
Bill: And is a sports drink better than water?
Angie: Not necessarily. The only time I would really recommend the sports drink is to replenish fast.
Bill: Okay, and you mentioned an ice pack on the head. We’ve heard of people getting in an ice bath, is that recommended too?
Angie: Well, if readily -- yeah that would be great, but you wouldn’t be able to do it right away if you’re outside far away from your house.
Bill: Got you.
Angie: But you could always – usually, you could probably find ice or a cold towel close.
Bill: And are there other heat-related illnesses we should know about?
Angie: Just the cramping, and that’s again, due to dehydration.
Bill: If you feel the cramping then that’s a sure sign, hmm I’m getting dehydrated, and go right to the water then?
Angie: Yes, that’s usually your first sign. That’s usually a great indicator that something bad is about to happen. Slow down, get out of the sun.
Bill: And are there any other tips for exercising in hot weather? Any other guidelines?
Angie: Just remember to – if it’s too hot of a day, down there the heat index gets so high that they recommended that you stay inside, so have a backup plan. If you need to go into a gym or even people walking inside the mall -- somewhere where it’s cooler. And then also, if you have any medical issues, be more cautious. Check with your doctor before you exercise outside because there may be some contraindications that he or she recommend.
Bill: That’s a good point. And is there any danger of mixing sports drinks with medications?
Angie: I’m sure there are with the ones that have a lot of caffeine and everything in it, but your general Gatorade, it’s just – we’ve used it on people that if their sugar has bottomed out, or if their blood pressure has dropped because it helps bring it back up.
Bill: Right, well that makes sense. Angie, thank you for your tips today. Let’s just do a quick recap here. Check the temperature, make sure you’re not exercising during the peak heat of the day, dress appropriately, and make sure you stay hydrated. Angie, thank you again. For more information about Tidelands Health physicians, services, and facilities, visit TidelandsHealth.org, that’s TidelandsHealth.org. This is Better Health Radio. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth (Host): It’s great to exercise outdoors on warm summer days, but the heat can take its toll and put extra stress on your body. Here to talk with us about exercising safely in hot weather, is Angie Hill, an Exercise Physiologist at Tidelands Health. Angie, thanks for your time. Tell us, first how, how does heat affect our body when exercising outdoors?
Angie Hill (Guest): Well, first of all, it causes you to sweat more, and then the more that you sweat – whenever the sweat evaporates from your body, and you lose it, so you just lose the sweat more and become dehydrated.
Bill: So dehydration is one of the main concerns when exercising in hot weather?
Angie: Yes, yes.
Bill: What’s the first thing to remember then, when it comes to exercising in hot weather?
Angie: Okay, first of all, check the temperature before you go. It’s better to exercising early in the morning or in the evenings. You want to avoid going midday when the peak heat hits.
Bill: Try to stay out of the peak heat?
Angie: Yes.
Bill: That makes sense. Okay, so what else? Are there other tips for exercising safely in hot weather?
Angie: Sure, there is. You want to dress appropriately. Mainly just light clothes – light-colored clothes because the dark colors absorb the heat. Also, you can wear a hat if you need to. Especially if you are running in the sun, make sure you put some sunscreen on. And of course, drink plenty of fluids. Knowing where you’re at fitness-wise before you begin, so if you’re new to exercise, you don’t want to just go right out and run the mile in the hot weather. Get yourself acclimated to the weather before you do anything strenuous.
Bill: Okay, so know your limits and don’t overdo it if you’re not used to exercising outdoors?
Angie: Yes.
Bill: Okay, well those are really good tips. You mentioned hydration here, that’s very important. Are there rules to how much water you should drink?
Angie: Generally, if you’re exercising, the amount of water that you lose through sweat you should replace with water. Or even doing sports drinks, stuff like that, will get you hydrated quicker, is a good suggestion. And also, especially if you are going to go out for let’s say a longer run, it’s recommended to maybe put water throughout your trail.
Bill: So when you say replace the water that you lose during exercise, how do you know how much?
Angie: I guess the best way to figure that out would be to weigh yourself before you exercise and weigh yourself after. Generally, six to eight cups of water are recommended a day, but you’re going to want to increase that on the days that you are going to go outside.
Bill: Okay, that’s a great tip. Thanks for sharing that with us. Let me ask you this then, is there a danger of drinking too much water?
Angie: I have seen some studies on that, but I’m not – that’s not my expertise on that one. I do not know the exact answer to that.
Bill: You were saying earlier know your limitations, so knowing when to quit is probably a good idea then as well?
Angie: Yes, especially when you start to feel muscle cramps when you start to get dizzy, when you just start to feel nauseous. Those are just signs that you might be getting heat exhaustion or a heat stroke.
Bill: Yeah, so let me ask you that question then. We hear about heat exhaustion and heat stroke, is there a difference between the two?
Angie: Yes, a heat stroke is worse than heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is when your body temperature rises to a temperature of 104. The symptoms are pretty much the same, nausea, vomiting, weakness, fainting. Sometimes people become cold, and then sometimes people become really sweaty. The heat stroke would be the next step, and that’s when your temperatures exceed 104 degrees. Generally, on that, you usually have dry skin.
Bill: If you feel that’s happening or you recognize it in someone else, what are the immediate steps to take?
Angie: I would call 9-1-1. I mean, if you did not want to call 9-1-1, just make sure you get a sports drink in because that will help replenish the lost fluid, ice on the head, ice on the neck, things to help bring that body temperature back down.
Bill: And is a sports drink better than water?
Angie: Not necessarily. The only time I would really recommend the sports drink is to replenish fast.
Bill: Okay, and you mentioned an ice pack on the head. We’ve heard of people getting in an ice bath, is that recommended too?
Angie: Well, if readily -- yeah that would be great, but you wouldn’t be able to do it right away if you’re outside far away from your house.
Bill: Got you.
Angie: But you could always – usually, you could probably find ice or a cold towel close.
Bill: And are there other heat-related illnesses we should know about?
Angie: Just the cramping, and that’s again, due to dehydration.
Bill: If you feel the cramping then that’s a sure sign, hmm I’m getting dehydrated, and go right to the water then?
Angie: Yes, that’s usually your first sign. That’s usually a great indicator that something bad is about to happen. Slow down, get out of the sun.
Bill: And are there any other tips for exercising in hot weather? Any other guidelines?
Angie: Just remember to – if it’s too hot of a day, down there the heat index gets so high that they recommended that you stay inside, so have a backup plan. If you need to go into a gym or even people walking inside the mall -- somewhere where it’s cooler. And then also, if you have any medical issues, be more cautious. Check with your doctor before you exercise outside because there may be some contraindications that he or she recommend.
Bill: That’s a good point. And is there any danger of mixing sports drinks with medications?
Angie: I’m sure there are with the ones that have a lot of caffeine and everything in it, but your general Gatorade, it’s just – we’ve used it on people that if their sugar has bottomed out, or if their blood pressure has dropped because it helps bring it back up.
Bill: Right, well that makes sense. Angie, thank you for your tips today. Let’s just do a quick recap here. Check the temperature, make sure you’re not exercising during the peak heat of the day, dress appropriately, and make sure you stay hydrated. Angie, thank you again. For more information about Tidelands Health physicians, services, and facilities, visit TidelandsHealth.org, that’s TidelandsHealth.org. This is Better Health Radio. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
