FitSugar

Need to Beat the Heat? Stock Up on Coconut Water

Leta Shy — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:58:06 PDT

In many parts of the country the heat wave is showing no signs of slowing down. While you can schedule your workouts earlier or later in the day and always have a water bottle nearby, extreme heat can put a damper on any enthusiasm for outdoor workouts. You need to take it a lot slower and pay attention to your body in the heat, since overheating can lead to heat exhaustion and dehydration.

One way to help prevent dehydration, whether you're braving triple digits for errands or trying to find a shady path to run, is to stock up on coconut water.

Read on for why coconut water is essential during the Summer heat.

Prevention Tips For Common Summer Health Risks

Heather Dale — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:07:00 PDT

Now that Summer is here, you probably want to throw caution to the wind and lap up the pleasures this season has to offer - not so fast. Before you go on your Summer joyride, keep in mind that you need to keep yourself protected from the elements. The last thing you want to be doing is spending your vacation days cooped up in a hotel room due to heat exhaustion. Here are five common health problems that tend to creep up on us during the Summer months and how to prevent and combat them!

How to Prevent Heat Exhaustion During Outdoor Activities

Heather Dale — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:06:30 PDT

Heat exhaustion can come in all shapes in sizes, and with Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, it's good to exercise caution, as heat-related illnesses can affect us all when we least expect it.

According to the Korey Stringer Institute and the National Athletic Trainers' Association, you should allow time for heat acclimatization. What this means is that the duration and intensity of your physical activity should be nice and gradual so that your body can adjust to the temperature. Other quick tips to prevent any health illness before it becomes serious include:

Drinking lots of water before, during, and after your workouts to avoid dehydration. You should sip about four to eight ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes. If your urine is darker in color, that could be an indication that you are dehydrated and need more fluids.
Try exercising during the cooler times of the day. Early in the morning and late in the evenings is when you can usually avoid the heat. If you are going for a run and the heat is inescapable, try running in shady places like the woods, or breezy places like the beach or along a lake.
Don't overdo it and take lots of breaks. It's important to stop whenever you feel tired or are overheating. For instance, after you complete the first half of a hike, walk, or run, take a break, eat a snack, drink some water, and then continue on.

DrSugar Answers: Nausea and Dizziness During Workout?

DrSugar — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:40:57 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

We've been getting many questions from readers regarding odd symptoms experienced during and immediately after exercise. One reader experienced nausea, vomiting, and dizziness while exercising, which made her feel like she was going to black out, and another reader went running in 90 degree temperatures and developed exhaustion, blurry vision, imbalance, and impaired hearing. I'm sure that there are other readers out there who have had similar feelings when working out (including me) and wondered what the causes could have been. Typically, it's hard to diagnose exactly what happened to each of these readers, but there are only so many common causes of these types of symptoms that are related to exercise. The most common causes of these types of symptoms include dehydration, low blood sugar levels, overexertion, and quite possibly, heat exhaustion.

If you've ever experienced these symptoms, learn how to prevent them when you read more.

DrSugar Answers: How Do I Know It's Heat Exhaustion?

DrSugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:00:15 PST

DrSugar is in the house, and she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear Doc Sugar,
Today while I was about halfway through my run, I noticed that I was starting to get some chills and had goosebumps. I was probably pushing myself a little bit harder than usual, but it's not like I've never pushed myself to the limit before. Could this have been a sign of impending heat exhaustion? What can I do to prevent this from happening again?
- Too Hot to Handle

I’m sure we’ve all experienced a workout that left us feeling like maybe we pushed it a little too hard. It’s hard to say if the symptoms you were experiencing were signs of impending heat exhaustion. Since you were able to ask this question, I’m going to assume that the symptoms went away and everything turned out OK. What I will discuss are the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, the treatment, and also what heat stroke is. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, so to learn more, keep reading.

Fit Tip: Prevent Heat Exhaustion

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:30:00 PDT

Summer is often accompanied by high temperature, and exercising in high temperatures can be accompanied by heat exhaustion. If the temperature is above 85°F or you're not used to exercising in the heat, your body may end up overheating – even if you're working out in a hot, humid room. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include excessive sweating, clammy skin, dilated pupils, dizziness, weakness, nausea or vomiting, rapid pulse, shallow breathing, or passing out. Definitely not the side effects you want from working out and not fun. You can prevent heat exhaustion from happening to you.

Here's how:

Avoid working out during the times of day when the sun is the strongest. Rearrange your schedule and exercise in the early morning or after the sun sets when the air is cooler.
Try to exercise in shaded areas or move your workouts indoors to an air-conditioned room.
Make sure to hydrate before, during, and after your workout. Keep a water bottle with you and as you feel yourself sweating, sip on it every once in a while to replenish lost fluids. If you are working out for longer than 30 minutes consider sipping on a sports drink, and if you are working out for over an hour definitely replace lost electrolytes while on the go.

To find out what else you can do

Consider moving your workout to the water and try swimming or kayaking.
Wear loose, light-colored clothing that allows your skin to breathe. Wearing a sun hat is not a bad idea to help shade the sun off your head and neck. Make sure that the hat breathes as well.
If you feel yourself getting too hot, reduce the intensity of your workout or take a rest. Pushing yourself will only make your symptoms worse.

Fit's Tips: High blood pressure can put you at greater risk for heat exhaustion, so get yours checked out.

Source

You Asked: My Face Turns Beet Red – Is This Normal?

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:30:00 PDT

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Dear Fit,
After I run in hot weather, my face turns so bright red. I stay hydrated, and I do feel hot, but not overheated. The friends I run with get slightly flushed, but not as scarlet red as me. Is this OK, or is this a sign that something is wrong?
-Rosie Red Rebecca

Don't worry, nothing is wrong with you. That ruby-red flush is just a sign that you're working hard and building up heat. When your temperature begins to rise, your smart little body perspires to keep itself cool, but it also dilates the blood vessels in your skin to reduce your body temperature (it's called vasodilation). This circulates blood to your skin's surface so that heat can radiate off of it. So have no fear - your face turns bright red because warm, oxygenated blood rushes to it as a way to prevent you from overheating. This is a good thing and nothing to be worried about.

To learn when a flushed face might be an indication of a problem

If you notice other signs beyond a flushed face, like feeling exhausted, feeling dizzy, sweating more than normal, or are sick to your stomach then you may be close to heat exhaustion. If that's the case, stop exercising ASAP, get out of the sun, loosen up tight clothing (or remove it altogether), and drink plenty of cool water.

Source

Which is the Most Serious Heat Illness?

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:30:00 PDT

With temperatures rising as summer hits its peak, exercise can lead to several heat related illnesses (hyperthermia), but when should you call for help?

Heat Exhaustion - Know the Symptoms

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:30:00 PDT

If you live in a warm climate, or a place where the summer gets pretty hot and humid, you could be at risk for heat exhaustion if you're not careful. Heat exhaustion can happen after exposure to high temps, which can make you sweat profusely and cause your body to overheat. You're at risk if you are working out in the sun, or in a poorly ventilated hot and humid room.

Here are the symptoms of heat exhaustion:

cold, clammy skin
dilated pupils
excessive sweating
dizziness, blurred vision, headache, or fainting
muscle cramps
weakness or fatigue
nausea or vomiting
signs of shock: rapid pulse, shallow breathing, unconsciousness

What should you do if you or someone you know is suffering from heat exhaustion? To find out

Get out of the sun and heat immediately.
Drink lots of water.
Remove excess clothing and loosen anything that is too tight around the neck or waist.
Take a cool shower or bath, or find some air-conditioning.
Lie on your back with your feet elevated.
If the person you are with becomes unconscious, seek medical attention ASAP!

Fit's Tips: To prevent heat exhaustion in the first place, avoid staying outside in extreme temperatures for long periods of time. If you find yourself in the heat, drink tons of cool water and go swimming to keep your body temperature from getting too high. If you love exercising outside in the summer, try working out early in the morning or later in the evening when the air is cooler.

Source

Stay Cool on the Run: Hydrate Your Head

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:15:06 PDT

Strong sun and heat can make outdoor runs more challenging, and a big concern is the risk of heat exhaustion. To stay cool while running on a hot day, make sure to hydrate your head. Sound silly? Keep reading for this fail-proof tip.

Before heading outside, head to the bathroom and soak your hair by sticking your head under the faucet. Squeeze out some of the excess water, but leave it pretty wet, and then wrap your hair into a bun. If you have supershort hair, soak your head and a bandana, and wrap the wet cloth around your head. As you run, the cool breeze on your wet head will not only feel refreshing, but it will also help prevent overheating. On really hot days, carry a water bottle and periodically pour some water on top of your head to rewet your hair.