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Beat the Summer Heat
With all that hot and sticky weather right around the corner, use these tips from Truestar to keep your cool when exercising.
Hydration: To keep your body functioning properly, to aid in weight loss, and for exercise during any temperature, water is an absolute must. While eight glasses a day might suffice for regular everyday activities like sitting at a desk, exercising in hot and humid conditions increases the need for water by up to three times. To ensure you are properly hydrated, a common rule of thumb is to check the color of your urine. A pale yellow color represents proper hydration. Since some foods and supplements may alter this color, a backup plan is to weigh yourself before and after your exercise session. Weight lost as a result of one exercise session is 99% water. Therefore drink up until the scale returns to pre-exercise values.
Electrolytes: Sodium and potassium are good examples of these chemical substances which may become dissolved and lost in sweat. During a regular bout of exercise, electrolyte loss is not usually a major concern, however with intense sessions in the heat and especially those of long duration (lasting 90 minutes +) their replacement becomes a critical factor. Without adequate amounts, normal body functions—not to mention performance—become severely compromised. Both potassium and sodium may be replaced with a healthy diet containing various fruits and veggies. For a quick fix many commercial sports drinks also offer electrolyte replacement, however if you are watching your weight, recognize that these drinks are usually high in calories.
Clothing: Two things to keep in mind when it comes to proper summer sportswear: color and material. Stick with light-colored clothing since it reflects the heat more than dark and as far as material goes, try synthetic fabrics such as Drifit and CoolMax. If not, stick with natural fibers, such as good old cotton. Cotton absorbs sweat and aids in the evaporation process.
Sunscreen: Weather the sun is shinning or hidden by the clouds, don’t be fooled, the rays still penetrate through and cause damage. Use a sunblock with a minimum SPF of 15. Since you will be sweating, try and stick with an oil free, waterproof option.
On the same note protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that shield from ultraviolet rays. For extra defense try our TruePROTECT a supplement designed with basic antioxidant support.
Time of Day: Common sense tells us to avoid the hottest time of day. Therefore exercise first thing in the morning since this is the coolest time of day. Second best is the early evening. Either way always avoid the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Pollution: With car exhaust being the number one contributor to air pollution, it makes sense to avoid exercising during high traffic hours. Weekday mornings from 8:00am – 11:00am has been reported to be the most severe time of day. Many pollutants such as carbon monoxide hinder exercise performance while the majority also flare up chronic conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and may cause cardiorespiratory sickness. Listen to your local news broadcast for days when pollution levels are unsafe.
Acclimatizing to the heat: Whichever exercise program you are following, remember that it is important to hold off on the progression in your program until your body adjusts to the new hot and sticky environment. That is, when you switch your cardio sessions to the outdoors, do so without progressions in intensity or duration. After three or four sessions or one to two weeks of training—and assuming you have the same energy levels as you did with the same cardio in the indoor environment—then you can continue with your regular challenging increments.
Choose a cooler form of Exercise
Water aerobics and swimming are two excellent ways to keep you cool while the sun is shinning. Don’t forget the sunscreen since more of your body will be exposed, and be sure to follow all the other above rules.
With all that hot and sticky weather right around the corner, use these tips from Truestar to keep your cool when exercising.
Hydration: To keep your body functioning properly, to aid in weight loss, and for exercise during any temperature, water is an absolute must. While eight glasses a day might suffice for regular everyday activities like sitting at a desk, exercising in hot and humid conditions increases the need for water by up to three times. To ensure you are properly hydrated, a common rule of thumb is to check the color of your urine. A pale yellow color represents proper hydration. Since some foods and supplements may alter this color, a backup plan is to weigh yourself before and after your exercise session. Weight lost as a result of one exercise session is 99% water. Therefore drink up until the scale returns to pre-exercise values.
Electrolytes: Sodium and potassium are good examples of these chemical substances which may become dissolved and lost in sweat. During a regular bout of exercise, electrolyte loss is not usually a major concern, however with intense sessions in the heat and especially those of long duration (lasting 90 minutes +) their replacement becomes a critical factor. Without adequate amounts, normal body functions—not to mention performance—become severely compromised. Both potassium and sodium may be replaced with a healthy diet containing various fruits and veggies. For a quick fix many commercial sports drinks also offer electrolyte replacement, however if you are watching your weight, recognize that these drinks are usually high in calories.
Clothing: Two things to keep in mind when it comes to proper summer sportswear: color and material. Stick with light-colored clothing since it reflects the heat more than dark and as far as material goes, try synthetic fabrics such as Drifit and CoolMax. If not, stick with natural fibers, such as good old cotton. Cotton absorbs sweat and aids in the evaporation process.
Sunscreen: Weather the sun is shinning or hidden by the clouds, don’t be fooled, the rays still penetrate through and cause damage. Use a sunblock with a minimum SPF of 15. Since you will be sweating, try and stick with an oil free, waterproof option.
On the same note protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that shield from ultraviolet rays. For extra defense try our TruePROTECT a supplement designed with basic antioxidant support.
Time of Day: Common sense tells us to avoid the hottest time of day. Therefore exercise first thing in the morning since this is the coolest time of day. Second best is the early evening. Either way always avoid the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Pollution: With car exhaust being the number one contributor to air pollution, it makes sense to avoid exercising during high traffic hours. Weekday mornings from 8:00am – 11:00am has been reported to be the most severe time of day. Many pollutants such as carbon monoxide hinder exercise performance while the majority also flare up chronic conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and may cause cardiorespiratory sickness. Listen to your local news broadcast for days when pollution levels are unsafe.
Acclimatizing to the heat: Whichever exercise program you are following, remember that it is important to hold off on the progression in your program until your body adjusts to the new hot and sticky environment. That is, when you switch your cardio sessions to the outdoors, do so without progressions in intensity or duration. After three or four sessions or one to two weeks of training—and assuming you have the same energy levels as you did with the same cardio in the indoor environment—then you can continue with your regular challenging increments.
Choose a cooler form of Exercise
Water aerobics and swimming are two excellent ways to keep you cool while the sun is shinning. Don’t forget the sunscreen since more of your body will be exposed, and be sure to follow all the other above rules.