There is no doubt that physical exercise is healthy and provides us with numerous benefits. Not only does it help us prevent numerous diseases, but it is also an essential factor in having good mental health, according to the World Health Organization (OMS).
The warm weather and longer days of summer offer us endless opportunities for outdoor physical activities. However, while it can be a great time to start training, we must keep in mind that heat and high temperatures can be a drawback, as high temperatures are not very conducive to great efforts.
What effects can heat have on physical activity?
Exercise inherently causes body temperature to rise. When combining exercise and heat, such as running on a hot, humid day, even the most experienced must be careful because it puts additional stress on the body. Under normal conditions, sweat and its evaporation cool the skin, compensating for this increase in temperature.
But what happens when it’s hot? Sweating is more difficult because perspiration does not evaporate as quickly from the skin. As Dr. Carlos de Cabo Porras, a specialist in the Cardiology Service at the Jimenez Diaz Foundation University Hospital“When we exercise at high temperatures, the evaporation of sweat becomes more difficult, the heart has to work harder, increasing its heart rate so that blood flow to the vessels near the skin increases in order to produce more sweating.”
The combination of increased heart rate and heart work can “cause problems, especially for people with heart conditions,” says De Cabo Porras.
Another common risk of physical activity in summer is dehydration, caused precisely by the excessive sweating that occurs in these circumstances and which makes it difficult to replace lost body fluids, “with the consequent loss of both blood volume and electrolytes; if this stress is not stopped, heat exhaustion and even the well-known heat stroke can occur,” warns the specialist.
The signals that the body sends and that tell us that we have to stop
The body is wise and knows when to react to threats. “The first symptoms we can notice are excessive sweating, redness of the skin, intense thirst and fatigue disproportionate to the level of effort being exerted,” says De Cabo Porras. All of this can be accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, headache or muscle cramps, caused by “dehydration and loss of electrolytes,” the specialist points out.
In the event of any warning symptoms, in addition to hydration, the first thing to do is to reduce the intensity of the exercise or, if necessary, stop. If, despite everything, the discomfort does not disappear, “we can spray cool water on the skin or apply cold towels or compresses to lower body temperature and encourage sweat evaporation,” recommends De Cabo Porras. The key is to stop, seek shade and hydrate ourselves. But if, after all these precautions, the symptoms continue to not disappear, the expert advises seeking medical attention as soon as possible.
Five tips for safe exercise in summer
Fortunately, there are ways to adjust your sports routine to the heat to achieve a safe and comfortable workout when temperatures rise. It is important, before putting on your shoes, to keep in mind These considerations since an exercise that may be comfortable on a mild day can become dangerous on a hot and humid afternoon.
- Avoid the hottest hours. Between noon and three in the afternoon it is best to avoid physical exercise because that is when direct exposure to the sun’s rays is most dangerous, as the American Heart Association warns (AHA). It is best to do it either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when temperatures are not so high.
- Proper hydration, before, during and after exercise. Although we usually wait until we feel thirsty, it is advisable to drink water even if we do not feel the need – thirst already indicates possible dehydration, while lack of thirst is synonymous with complete hydration. In addition to combating the negative effects of dehydration on thermoregulation, it helps delay fatigue and improve performance. Although water is the drink of choice, consuming drinks containing electrolytes is key to properly replenishing body fluids.
- Wear appropriate clothing. When exercising in hot conditions, the clothing we wear is also important. Wearing light-colored clothing made from breathable materials like nylon or polyester that wick away moisture is the best ally for hot days. Light colors will help reflect the sun’s rays instead of absorbing the heat. Sunglasses that block UV rays, even on a cloudy day, a hat, and water- and sweat-resistant sunscreen can also be helpful.
- Listen to the body. Adapting your exercise, adjusting the intensity to a more moderate pace than usual, with regular rest periods, will make things easier. If you are used to running a certain distance, you can change it to a shorter and more intense one. The heat forces us to adapt and explore new ways of exercising.
- Avoid the sun. You can look for alternative locations and exercise indoors or in places where you have shade, thus avoiding direct sunlight, or adjust your training schedule to early in the morning or in the afternoon, when temperatures are not so high.
Source: www.eldiario.es
