7 Practical Ways to Avoid Heat Exhaustion

It’s been a unusually hot summer for most parts of U.S. Some 28 States have declared drought due to persistently hot temperature and lack of rain. Agriculture has suffered. You can expect higher prices for corn and soybean and their derived foods.

Health and fitness is a year-around life-long journey. But it doesn’t mean that you do the same things for every season all year around. Take consideration of summer slowdown and vacation.

Exercises in hot weather put extra load on your body and cardiovascular system. You should caution with your workout intensity and duration and make sure to hydrate accordingly.

The combination of heat, heavy perspiration, and inadequate fluid intake takes away your body’s ability to cool itself and your internal temperature starts to rise, sometimes as high as 104˚F.  The symptoms are similar to the onset of shock: You feel dizzy, nauseated, or worried. You could have a headache and/or a fast heartbeat.

Here are a few useful tips on how to beat summer heat and avoid heat exhaustion.

Just Get Out of the Heat

The obvious answer, but people often ignore it. You need shade or air-conditioning. And after you feel better, know that returning to the sun even hours later can spur a relapse. Be careful.

Drink Cold Fluids

Drinking cold water and sports drinks not only works well for fast hydration, but also will help lower your internal temperature.

Get Wet

Cold water on the skin is a big help. Cold water on the skin in front of a fan is even better. Spray it on, drizzle it over your head and neck, or wipe yourself down with cold, wet towels.

Check Your Weight

If you train in hot weather, weigh yourself before and after a workout to see how much water weight you’ve lost. Then replenish. The next day, weigh yourself again before the workout—and every day thereafter. If your weight doesn’t return to your original number or drops further, you may be slowly dehydrating yourself. Make sure you drink enough fluids that your urine runs clear.

Keep Your Shirt On

You pick up more radiant heat exposure with your shirt off. Once you perspire, a shirt can act as a cooling device when the when the wind blows on the wet material.

Stay Away from Alcohol

A good summer workout, or even a long round of golf in the sun, may make you feel that it’s time for a beer afterward. Watch it. Alcohol dehydrates you and can make even mild heat exhaustion worse. Hydrate first, celebrate later. (And even when you’re feeling hydrated, some brews are better than others.

Mind Your Meds

Certain medications, such as diuretics, blood pressure medicines, allergy meds, cough and cold medicines, can decrease the body’s ability to regulate its temperature, increasing your risk. If you have to be on any of those, consider exercising in air-conditioning.