How to Avoid Heat Stress While Exercising
Hydrate., Wear loose, light clothing., Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugar., Acclimate yourself to a new environment., Talk to your doctor about exercise if you're over 65., Know the effects of your medications., Protect yourself from the sun.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Hydrate.
Drinking plenty of fluids will help your body sweat and maintain a normal body temperature.
Water is your best choice for less-intense workouts, but if you're engaged in a long exercise session add a sports drink to replace the salt that's lost when you sweat.
You should drink about 8 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes.Make sure the water or sports drinks are cool, but not too cold.
Having very cold drinks after exerting yourself might cause stomach cramps.Choose lower-calorie sports drinks, which have less sugar.
If your doctor has told you to limit fluids because of a health condition, be sure to check with them about how much extra you need to drink when the temperature rises. -
Step 2: Wear loose
Your workout clothes should be loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored, and made of material designed to allow sweat to evaporate from your skin.
If your clothes become sweat-soaked, change into dry clothes.
Wet clothes interfere with your body's ability to cool itself, and can cause heat rash.
Dark and tight clothes hold in heat and prevent you from cooling off naturally., Alcohol use can affect your body's ability to regulate your temperature, and drinking alcohol can cause you to be dehydrated the following day.
Caffeinated and high-sugar drinks like soda cause you to lose fluids.
Avoid these the day you work out and use sparingly the day before.Do not take salt tablets, which can increase your risk of dehydration., If you are beginning an outdoor exercise program, traveling somewhere hot and more humid, or the temperature suddenly rises in your area, slowly work up to your usual schedule so your body can get used to the heat.
If you're on vacation, you probably don't have several weeks to wait, but limit the intensity and duration of your workouts and take more frequent rest and water breaks.
It takes trained athletes about two weeks of training in hot temperatures for their bodies to learn how to adjust to the demands of hot weather.
For an untrained individual, or in highly humid weather, this may take as long as two to three months., Anyone can develop heat stress, but children younger than 4 and adults older than 65 are at higher risk.
Older adults should discuss any health issues or medications with your doctor prior to starting an exercise plan.
Parents should be alert for signs of heat stress in little ones running around outside on a hot day, as the body's ability to regulate its temperature isn't fully developed in the young., There are some frequently prescribed medications that alter your body's ability to respond to heat stress.The safest way to know is to ask your doctor about your medications' side effects, especially when starting a new workout routine.
If a medication you are prescribed does make you more susceptible to heat stress, your doctor can change your medication or instruct you on what measures to take to stay safe while exercising.
Some of the most common culprits are:
Beta blockers, like Propranolol Diuretics, like Hydrochlorothiazide or Furosemide Antihistamines, like Zyrtec and other common allergy medications Tranquilizers, like Xanax Antipsychotics, like Haldol or Clozapine , If you're going to be outdoors, wear a wide-brimmed hat or find a shady spot for your workout.
Apply sunscreen of at least SPF 30 to any exposed skin.
Having a sunburn reduces your body's ability to rid itself of heat. -
Step 3: light clothing.
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Step 4: Avoid alcohol
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Step 5: caffeine
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Step 6: and sugar.
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Step 7: Acclimate yourself to a new environment.
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Step 8: Talk to your doctor about exercise if you're over 65.
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Step 9: Know the effects of your medications.
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Step 10: Protect yourself from the sun.
Detailed Guide
Drinking plenty of fluids will help your body sweat and maintain a normal body temperature.
Water is your best choice for less-intense workouts, but if you're engaged in a long exercise session add a sports drink to replace the salt that's lost when you sweat.
You should drink about 8 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes.Make sure the water or sports drinks are cool, but not too cold.
Having very cold drinks after exerting yourself might cause stomach cramps.Choose lower-calorie sports drinks, which have less sugar.
If your doctor has told you to limit fluids because of a health condition, be sure to check with them about how much extra you need to drink when the temperature rises.
Your workout clothes should be loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored, and made of material designed to allow sweat to evaporate from your skin.
If your clothes become sweat-soaked, change into dry clothes.
Wet clothes interfere with your body's ability to cool itself, and can cause heat rash.
Dark and tight clothes hold in heat and prevent you from cooling off naturally., Alcohol use can affect your body's ability to regulate your temperature, and drinking alcohol can cause you to be dehydrated the following day.
Caffeinated and high-sugar drinks like soda cause you to lose fluids.
Avoid these the day you work out and use sparingly the day before.Do not take salt tablets, which can increase your risk of dehydration., If you are beginning an outdoor exercise program, traveling somewhere hot and more humid, or the temperature suddenly rises in your area, slowly work up to your usual schedule so your body can get used to the heat.
If you're on vacation, you probably don't have several weeks to wait, but limit the intensity and duration of your workouts and take more frequent rest and water breaks.
It takes trained athletes about two weeks of training in hot temperatures for their bodies to learn how to adjust to the demands of hot weather.
For an untrained individual, or in highly humid weather, this may take as long as two to three months., Anyone can develop heat stress, but children younger than 4 and adults older than 65 are at higher risk.
Older adults should discuss any health issues or medications with your doctor prior to starting an exercise plan.
Parents should be alert for signs of heat stress in little ones running around outside on a hot day, as the body's ability to regulate its temperature isn't fully developed in the young., There are some frequently prescribed medications that alter your body's ability to respond to heat stress.The safest way to know is to ask your doctor about your medications' side effects, especially when starting a new workout routine.
If a medication you are prescribed does make you more susceptible to heat stress, your doctor can change your medication or instruct you on what measures to take to stay safe while exercising.
Some of the most common culprits are:
Beta blockers, like Propranolol Diuretics, like Hydrochlorothiazide or Furosemide Antihistamines, like Zyrtec and other common allergy medications Tranquilizers, like Xanax Antipsychotics, like Haldol or Clozapine , If you're going to be outdoors, wear a wide-brimmed hat or find a shady spot for your workout.
Apply sunscreen of at least SPF 30 to any exposed skin.
Having a sunburn reduces your body's ability to rid itself of heat.
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