Check out the ‘Exercise cautionary in hot weather’ In the summer, many individuals go outside to jog, play basketball, or perform yard maintenance. When the temperature rises, “simple” exercise becomes a massive physical challenge, and severe exertion can be fatal.
You are in danger of acquiring a heat-related illness if your body’s temperature-regulating system is overworked. 
Keep an Eye on the Weather
Your body’s core temperature rises during exercise and in warm conditions. Even seasoned athletes should use caution when the two are combined, such as when running on a hot, muggy day. Sweating is how your body cools itself, but under humid conditions, sweating is more difficult since it takes longer for it to evaporate off your skin. As your body struggles to stay cool, your heart rate increases.
Check the weather forecast before you put on your running shoes or head to the tennis courts. Reduce your workout if the temperature or humidity is excessive. On a hot, humid afternoon, a workout that feels easy on a cool day can be dangerously severe. Respect your own body and its limitations. People with larger bodies, the elderly, children, and others who are not used to strenuous exercise should exercise particular caution in hot weather.
Dress Appropriately
What you wear when exercising in the heat is important. In hot weather, light-colored, sweat-wicking clothing is better; dark, heavier clothing might make you even hotter. Protective padding or helmets, for example, trap heat and boost your body temperature. If you must dress, reduce the intensity and duration of your workout.
Wear UV-blocking eyewear and sunscreen at all times. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher (the most effective brands have labels that read “wide spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection”) and apply it for 30 minutes before heading out. Continue to reapply sunscreen as directed on the box. Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to cool down.
Hydrate
When it gets hot outside, make sure to stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day and eating foods like crisp lettuce, watermelon, grapefruit, broccoli, and tomatoes that are high in water content.
Surprisingly, sweating can help you drop a few pounds of water weight. Weigh yourself before and after working out, and drink 2 to 3 glasses of water for every pound lost. Water is a wise choice because it enters your tissues and travels swiftly through your digestive system. Sports drinks can assist your body in rehydrating and replenishing nutrients more quickly if you’re exercising for longer than 60 minutes or perspiring heavily.
Know the Warning Signs: Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
Dehydration is a potentially fatal medical condition. Exercising in hot, humid weather can quickly raise the core temperature of your body, putting you at danger of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of the heat-related disease that can develop after several days of high-temperature exposure and insufficient or unbalanced fluid supplementation.
Signs of heat exhaustion include:
- Heavy sweating
- Muscle cramps
- Headache
- Fainting
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dark urine
- Dizziness
- Cool, moist skin
- Fatigue
- Weakness
The pulse rate is likely to be slow and feeble. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke if left untreated.
The most serious heat-related sickness is heat stroke. Within 10 to 15 minutes, the body temperature may climb to 103°F or more.
Signs in heat stroke victims:
- Rapid, weak pulse
- Confusion
- Dry, hot skin (no sweating)
- A body temperature of above 103°F
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
