Exercising in the Heat

Posted by: Curt | Under: General Fitness | (0) Comments

The Southeast US has been very hot (95-105 deg F) for the past month and when you add in the humidity that is common down here, it it miserable. In fact, it is hot enough that most people don’t want to even go outside much less exercise or run. But if you are a runner, there are some basic things to remember that are common sense and yet get ignored consistently. Even the top runners in the world fall victim to some of these potholes.

Here is one of them from the MSN article-

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Preparations for Sunday long runs start on Saturday, when, Dunaway says, “I eat light and drink heavy”—as in water, not Lone Star Beer, which he saves for the night after the run, along with all the spicy Cajun food that he forgoes the night before. “Your body has to digest all that, and in the really intense heat, that’s tough on your stomach,” says Dunaway. The night before summer long runs, he sticks with salads and fruits, which are not only light but also have a high water content to assist with hydration.

The hot, moist conditions Dunaway and his running partners face in Louisiana demand extra caution. Humidity on top of heat drastically decreases the body’s ability to cool itself. “Sweating doesn’t cool the body; it’s the evaporation of the sweat that makes you feel cooler,” says Lisa Bliss, M.D., medical director of the Badwater Ultramarathon. “When it’s humid, it’s harder for the sweat to evaporate.” The most effective way to deal with the oppressive combination of high humidity and heat? “Let your body self-select the pace,” says Dr. Bliss.

In other words, when it’s hot, slow down. “If it ain’t happening, it ain’t happening,” says Dunaway. “What we say here is ‘Don’t be a hero in the heat.’”

Check out the whole article- there are a lot of good tips.