Tips to Exercising in 100+ Degree Heat

Despite the high heat, people can exercise outside. But only if they know how to take care of themselves.

On Sunday, June 30, bicycists went to the Trek Bicycle store at 2194 Michigan Ave., for their usual 8:30 a.m. Sunday ride.

In 103 degree heat.

"People can ride in that heat as long as they remain hydrated and eat properly," the store's Inventory Manager Jon Pessin said.

People riding bikes, for example, in hot temperatures need to drink about 24 ounces of water an hour, he said. "If you drink when you're thirsty, it's too late."

People also need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to ensure their performance, Pessin said.

When people sweat, during exercise, their bodies lose potassium, sodium and calcium.

"If people lose too many of those minerals, they begin to hallucinate, become weak, and may become very sick," Pessin said.

During exercise, muscles also produce a lot of acid and toxins, the by product of buring all that energy, he said. Those can cause muscle cramps.

Eating an antiacid tablet can cure the muscle cramps, along with water and stretches, Pessin said.

Consuming an apple, orange or any of the fitness food products available at the Trek bicycle store will replenish the body's needed minerals during and after exercise, Pessin said.

Why do bikers ride on Sundays? Because they enjoy the friendship, biking, and being outdoors, said Zack Johnson, another Trek bike specialist in Arnold.

"It just gives us a chance to talk about the strange or unusual things we see during the week," Johnson said.