Worry-Free Summer Workout Tips

Warm days and clear skies – it’s that time of year when many of us can’t get enough of the outdoors, and that includes moving our exercise routines outside. However, with the hot weather, those outdoor workouts can quickly turn disastrous if you overdo it.

“Everyone should get outside and enjoy the summer as much as possible!” says Dr. Zachary LaMaster, a family medicine physician at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, Ill. “That being said, heat-related illnesses are common as the temperature increases in the summer months.”

Dr. LaMaster advises everyone to be aware of the temperature and stay hydrated. He also offers the following five tips to ensure your safety during summer workouts:

1. Always have a bottle of water. Adequate hydration is essential during exercise because it allows our bodies to sweat when they need to in order to help us keep cool. If you plan to exercise, you should be drinking more, especially if it is warm. Basically, you should trust your thirst. If you feel thirsty, drink more water. Gatorade and other sports drinks are good for replenishing electrolytes but should not replace regular water. Remember to always watch the sugar content in your drinks.
2. Protect your skin from the sun. If you plan to be outside on hot days, wear light colored, loose-fitting clothing, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen. Apply sunscreen with a minimum 25 SPF, and reapply it every 2 hours. Even on cloudy days, nearly 80 percent of the sun’s harmful rays can penetrate your skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
3. Know the warning signs of heat-related illness. The most important thing you can do is to listen to your own body and rest when you feel like you need to. Normal exercise should make you somewhat tired, but not exhausted to the point that it is difficult to continue the exercise. Other symptoms of heat-related illness include cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and changes in vision. If any of these symptoms develop during exercise in hot weather, stop the exercise and seek cooler temperatures. More severe symptoms include confusion, hallucinations, dizziness and syncope (fainting). These are signs of more serious problems leading to organ failure, and you should seek medical help immediately.
4. Don’t overdo it. It’s important to remember that exercising on hot days is dangerous for practically anyone, despite fitness levels. A heat index of 95 degrees or above puts everyone at increased risk for heat-related illness. Be aware of the actual temperature – not just your personal limits – and try to exercise during cooler times of day. The hottest parts of the day are generally from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
5. Let your body adjust to the new environment. When you move your workouts outside, your body has to cope not only with the heat but also with new surroundings and surfaces. Always ease into fully outdoor workouts, especially if you’re switching to running or playing sports on pavement after months indoors. And no matter the time of year, always be sure to warm up and cool down properly when you exercise to avoid injuries and overexertion.

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About Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is part of Advocate Health Care (Advocate), the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest Accountable Care Organizations in the country. A national leader in population health management, Advocate operates nearly 400 sites of care and 12 hospitals, including three of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, the state’s largest integrated children’s network, five Level I trauma centers (the state’s highest designation in trauma care), three Level II trauma centers, one of the area’s largest home health and hospice companies and one of the region’s largest medical groups. Advocate trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $692 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2016. Advocate is part of Advocate Aurora Health, the 10th largest not-for-profit, integrated health system in the United States. We help people live well. To learn more about Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, please visit us: www.advocatehealth.com/immc.