Should You Exercise in the Heat?

With much of the country buried under the heavy pall of a heat wave, outdoor exercise has become not only uncomfortable, but downright dangerous.  Exercising when it’s very hot outside can cause a number of problems.  Some are minor – Dehydration, sunburn, heat rash and/or a really crappy workout.  Some can turn into major problems like heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

The problem is, we often don’t know we’re overdoing it until it’s too late.  If you exercise all the time, you may not think twice about heading outside for your usual workout, not realizing that your body, no matter how fit it is, needs time to adapt to hot weather exercise.  A few tips:

• Watch your heart rate:  High temperatures and humidity can send your heart rate soaring.  Many of us try to run, walk or cycle at the same pace we normally do, sometimes pushing ourselves even when we’re clearly struggling.  Wear a heart rate monitor and check your heart rateregularly.  If it’s very high, you know to back off, cut your workout short or move it indoors.
• The sweat factor:  If you stop sweating, that’s a major warning sign that your body can’t regulate your temperature and you should stop your workout and head indoors.
• Look for signs of heat exhaustion:  Besides the sweat factor, stop your workout and get indoors if you feel nausea, fatigue, dizziness or so hot that your head might catch on fire.  Treating yourself right away (with fluids, a cold shower, an air conditioned room, etc.) can help you avoid heat stroke, which is much more serious and usually requires emergency treatment.
• By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide  June 9, 2011