4 ways to prevent overheating during summer workouts

The only way to address heat-related illness before it happens is to adopt precautions for exercising in hot weather.  Four simple tips for keeping the heat under control during your summer workouts:

Exercise sensibly
The single most important rule is to back off the intensity of workouts in severe heat, especially if you start to feel symptoms of heat-related illness or anything else unusual, Don’t try for personal records; respect the conditions - if you’re running, back off to a jog; if you’re jogging, slow down to a walk; if you’re gardening, get out of the sun and get into the shade.

Acclimate
Your body adjusts to the heat over time. That’s why throwing teens into two-a-day practices at the start of training can have disastrous results. Individuals should not schedule tough workouts until they have become accustomed to the conditions.

Hydrate
You must remain adequately hydrated to exercise efficiently and prevent illness. With every 1 per cent loss in body weight due to dehydration, the body’s temperature rises a half-degree.   If you sweat heavily, you can reduce the level of salt and electrolytes in your body enough to cause problems. Gatorade and other sports drinks may replace only part of what you need if you’re exercising for several hours in the heat.  Certain medications and illnesses such as the flu also may affect this calculation

Adjust to conditions
The heat and humidity can combine to make it difficult for your body to cool itself, When the temperature is above 34 or 35 degrees, your skin is actually absorbing heat.
Be proactive when temperatures rise. - go out earlier, go out later, run on a trail instead of blacktop, don’t run that day bring a water carrier, go to a fitness centre where it’s air-conditioned.