RUNNING IN THE HEAT

Summer has arrived . Most of us wouldn’t pick this as their favorite season for outdoor exercises – walking and running.

 

But summers do have a lot going for it. More daylight before and after work means more time to go outdoors.Its even easier to be more active outdoors so the fitness levels are higher with all the swimmimg hiking vacations etc.

 

Here are a few tips to help you with your hot weather workouts along with ways to prevent a few common hot weather illnesses 

 

Adjust :

 

Avoid doing long or high intensity workouts during the heat of the day .If you must run midday pick routes with some shade. Start your run slower than you usually do . If you feel good mid way its ok to speed up a bit.

 

Wear light 

 

Wear clothes that are light in colour , lightweight and that have vents . Also wear shades and a hat 

 

Drink early and often.

 

Drink fluids an hour before you start and every 20 to 30 minutes while running. Electrolytes are better than water since they contain salt and sugar and replace the electrolytes you lose by sweat .They also taste good making it easy to drink.

Drinking before you feel thirsty avoids bloating .

 

Acclimatize 

Be patient Give yourself a few days to get used to the heat and gradually increase the legth and the intensity of your run. The body will learn to decrease the heart rate and the core body tempearature and increase the sweat rate.

 

Run on grass 

It is always hotter rujnning on asphalt .Look for a park and go early morning or late in the evening. Be careful of holes in the ground. 

 

Check the wind.

Start the run going with the wind using the head wing while getting back .Running into the wind has a cooloing effect which helps during the second part of the run.

 

Go out early or late 

 

Even in the heat it cools off during dawn. Get over with your run then . it feels good throught the day .If you cannot do it then then wait until evening , whenthe sun is not that strong Avoid doing it so late that makes sleep difficult

 

Slow down 

With an increase in temperature the speed decreases. Don’t stress about it, just slow down.