You want to be outside when the weather is nice, but the warm summer months can also be a little hard on your health if you’re not careful. The summer heat can pose additional health risks, so if you’re going to be active and outdoors when the sun is shining, you’re going to want to heed some smart advice. In today’s blog, we share some tips for staying safe when you’re exercising outdoors in the summer heat.
Safe Outdoors Exercise In The Summer Heat
Whether you want to train for an upcoming half marathon or you want to do your physical therapy exercises outside in the fresh air, there are a few extra precautions you’ll want to heed if it’s a particularly warm day. Here’s what you need to do in order to safely exercise in the summer heat.
- Drink Plenty of Water – Let’s start with the obvious, and that’s to drink plenty of water when you’re outside or after you come back inside. You’re going to lose a lot of fluids during exercise, and that’s especially true if you’re outside in the warm temperatures. Sweating helps your body maintain an ideal temperature, but this also leads to a loss in fluids and the possibility that you’ll become dehydrated. Restore lost fluids by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- Avoid The Hottest Parts Of The Day – If you want to exercise outdoors, consider waking up earlier or partaking in exercise once the sun is down to avoid the hottest parts of the day, which is generally between 1-4 p.m. Get outside and enjoy the weather when it’s not so hot.
- Find Shade– If you’re going to do your physical therapy exercises outside or take in a ballgame, try to find a shady spot where you can be out of the direct sunlight. Consider investing in a larger umbrella or portable canopy if you’re not sure if there will be a shady spot to set up camp. It will be much more mild in the shade, so try to find a shady spot if you’ll be outdoors for an extended period.
- Use Sunscreen– It’s also important that you protect your skin from the potentially harmful effects of the sun’s rays. Lube up and regularly reapply sunscreen so that your skin can stay protected while you’re out and about.
- Pace Yourself– You’re going to fatigue faster in the summer heat, so it’s important to pace yourself so that the elements don’t have such a detrimental effect on your activities. You don’t need to go for your longest or fastest run on a very hot day. Pace yourself and gradually take on bigger challenges in the heat as your body shows that it can handle what you’re throwing at it.
- Wear The Right Clothes– Finally, make sure that you are dressed appropriately for the conditions. Wear light and breathable clothing if you’ll be exercising, or consider a long sleeve and a hat if you’re more worried about the sun’s rays than the temperature. Use a weather app to look ahead at what you can expect when you’re outside so that you can dress for the conditions.
We want you to have an active summer season, but just be aware that the weather can provide some additional challenges for your health. If you need personalized assistance overcoming a physical issue this summer, let the team at OrthoRehab Specialists help. For more information, or to book your first session, give our team a call today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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