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How to Keep Fit Safely in Summer
20-May-09
What to Wear!
When exercising wearing lightweight, loose fitting clothing promotes sweat evaporation and a cooling effect by letting more air pass over the body. Although recently, well known brands such as Nike and Adidas have developed a range of exercise apparel which aids cooling and removal of sweat from the body by being extremely tight; forcing sweat away from the skin and keeping you more comfortable. These tight clothes also compress your body and will help your muscles generate more power, work harder and in turn, increase performance. Try to avoid dark colours as these can absorb the heat, while light-colours help deflect the sun’s rays. Wearing a hat can also limit your exposure to the sun, when it appears!
Have Sense in the Sun
You must wear sun screen when exercising in the sun, at least SPF 15. Getting burnt will decrease your body's ability to cool itself, and increase the risk of a heat-related illness. Keep an eye out for the early onset of well known symptoms such as headache, cramping in the large muscle groups (thighs, back, and stomach), nausea, weakness, heat rash and dizziness. Exercise in the morning or evening when it's likely to be cooler outdoors rather than the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
Your body's ability to sweat and cool down depends on adequate rehydration and it’s essential to drink plenty of water while you're exercising, even if you don't feel thirsty. If you're planning an intense workout; consider sports drinks instead as they help replace lost electrolytes and salts. Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, as these actually promote fluid loss.
Beat Allergies
The most common allergic reaction is to pollen as it can travel on the wind for miles, making it very hard to get away from. Just because you’re running around the deck of a cruise ship doesn’t mean that you’re able to escape pollen in the air. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) have undertaken research surrounding this topic and they suggest that any activity which elevates your respiration rate should be avoided if you are a severe sufferer of hayfever. The more you move through the air the more likely it is for pollen spores to hit you, ultimately increasing your chances of an allergic reaction.
Stay away from activities such as running and bike riding, particularly on days when the pollen count is high. During the summer months, regional television and radio weather bulletins will cover local pollen counts so you can make sure to avoid an outdoor session during the high count days.
Suitable exercise would include yoga, swimming, Tai Chi, stretching and weight training as these are activities which don't involve a lot of huffing and puffing! Taking time to work on your balance and body tone will in the long term increase the quality of your overall workout. If you can’t help going for a run or bike ride then be picky about the time of the day you choose to exercise at. Cornell University state that pollen counts are at their highest between 5 and 10am, in such cases an evening workout would be ideal.
Although exercising outdoors can increase your contact with pollen, ironically, the extra adrenalin your body produces while you are working out can temporarily dampen the allergic response. This along with the length of time it can take for contact with pollen to produce an allergic reaction means your worst symptoms might not occur while you are exercising at all, but after you stop.
Last but not least ensure you have a thorough wash after your workout and put on a fresh change of clothes to reduce the risk of a post workout allergic reaction.
