Summer sun can be quite
notorious. It sucks out the last ounce of water from our insides and leaves us
wondering whether this thirst will ever quench itself. If you’re a workout
addict who wouldn’t stop no matter what the weather outside is, then this article
is just for you.
However
determined you are to proceed with your workout under the sun, here are a few
things you should bear in mind when you are all set for a gruelling workout:
The Perils of Working out in Summer
If
you stay in a cold country or you’ve been working out in a gym all year round,
summer brings about a pleasant change in workouts. But if you happen to be located somewhere near the
equator, where the wrath of heat can be felt in full force, the summer sun is
not exactly a conjurer of good things.
Impact of Heat
As
heat increases we begin to perspire more than usual. More perspiration means we
lose water at a much quicker rate compared to that in winters.
This
loss of water can cause severe dehydration in summers and this exerts greater
pressure on our muscles. If a person working out in the summer heat doesn’t
consume sufficient quantity of water they stand at a higher risk of suffering
from problems like muscle tear or body fatigue.
Even
though our routine doesn’t exactly change, the introduction of warm or hot
weather does add another variable to the equation. The blood supply that works
actively to cool down our muscles faces intense competition from the heat
outside, making it harder for our body to cool quickly.
Time to Adjust
Our
body revolts when it is subjected to extreme changes of temperature or climatic
conditions. Therefore most physiotherapists believe that our body should be
given sufficient time to get adjusted to our surroundings before we begin
working out.
If
the body is prepared for summer, chances of injury drastically reduce. For this
reason, most fitness experts believe that an intensive workout is never the
right way to kick off workouts in any season.
The
trick to getting used to the summer heat before diving right in is to start
slow. One should ideally begin exercising in the heat for an hour each day for
a week to ten days.
There’s
even a scientific term for it and it’s called heat acclimatisation. In essence
it is similar to the acclimatisation we need to undergo when scaling higher
altitudes. Our bodies have an incredible ability to get used to our surroundings
within a few hours.
If
we were to give you more biological details, our cardiovascular system develops
resistance to the climate within the first three to five days whereas the
sweating mechanism may take up to 10 days to adapt itself.
Summer heat increases
As
the sun keeps going higher in the sky, the heat increases. Whether in a day or
in a season, the sun being right up there is never good news for workout.
Before the body is completely habituated to the heat one must not indulge in
high intensity or long workouts.
It
is preferable to participate in activities that help the body to cool down
faster than others such as cycling or swimming. The ideal workout for summers
is swimming as we do not lose much water during this activity and it also keeps
us relatively cool.
For
better efficiency one must always workout in the cooler parts of the day such
as early morning or late evening. Working out in these times ensures that you
completely avoid the scorching sun and also the harm that it brings along.
Another
good way to beat the summer heat while working out is to consume lots of fluids
throughout the day. The fluids shouldn’t contain caffeine as it can be counter
productive when consumed in large quantities.
One
should also dress appropriately as it can have a significant impact on the
quality of your workout. Clothing should be minimal and such that it allows the
body to breathe. Such type of clothing also keeps the body temperature down
absorbing our sweat better.
Not Knowing when to Stop
Working
out can be quite a rush. When you walk, you feel like jogging and when you jog
you feel like sprinting. But it is important to remember that our body does
have a will of its own and that it shouldn’t be forced to do things it isn’t
ready to do.
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