How to Safely Exercise in the Summer Heat: Tips to Avoid Heat Illness

View all conditions and services

Exercise is a cornerstone of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but during hot summer months, outdoor workouts can quickly pose serious health risks. If you prefer walking, running, cycling, or or other exercise outdoors, taking the right precautions and knowing your personal risk factors is essential to staying safe.

The Science of Working Out in the Heat

As we exercise, our muscles generate heat, causing our core body temperature to rise. To cool down, our circulatory system transports this heat to the surface of the skin, which triggers sweating.

When it is hot and humid outside, sweat cannot evaporate efficiently, trapping heat inside the body. Without proper precautions, this can quickly lead to heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Fortunately, you can protect your body and maintain your fitness goals by following a few simple steps.

4 Essential Tips for Safe Summer Workouts

1. Acclimate Your Body Slowly

It takes the human body one to two weeks to adapt to higher temperatures and humidity. If you are new to outdoor exercise or primarily work out indoors, start with shorter, less intense sessions and take frequent rest breaks.

  • Time it right: Schedule your workouts for the morning or evening when temperatures and the UV index are lowest.
  • Progress gradually: Slowly increase the length and intensity of your workouts over 14 days as your body adapts.

2. Hydrate Based on Your Sweat Rate

When you do not drink enough fluids, your blood volume declines. This reduces your body’s ability to bring heat to the surface of the skin for release.

To stay properly hydrated, follow these guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

  • Weigh yourself: Weigh yourself immediately before and after exercising in the heat.
  • Replacement ratio: For every pound of body weight lost, drink 16 ounces of water. (Example: If you weigh 2 pounds less after a run, drink 32 ounces of water).
  • Add electrolytes: If you are exercising for 90 minutes or more, plain water isn’t enough. Incorporate an electrolyte replacement to restore lost sodium and minerals.

3. Dress in Technical, Moisture-Wicking Fabrics

Your clothing choices directly impact your body’s ability to cool itself.

  • Wear loose, light-colored clothing: This reflects solar radiation and promotes better heat transfer.
  • Ditch the cotton: Cotton absorbs moisture and holds it against your skin. Instead, opt for lightweight, synthetic, moisture-wicking fabrics that help sweat evaporate quickly.

4. Know Your Personal Risk Factors

Certain medical conditions, physical fitness levels, and prescription medications can significantly lower your heat tolerance. Always consult with a healthcare professional to understand how your specific health profile responds to extreme temperatures.

Warning Signs of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

If you experience any of the following warning signs while exercising outdoors, stop immediately, find shade or air conditioning, and begin hydrating:

  • Excessive thirst or dry mouth
  • Severe weakness or fatigue
  • Headache, dizziness, or lightheadedness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Muscle cramps

Critical Safety Note: Heat exhaustion can quickly progress to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. If your symptoms do not improve within 30 minutes of cooling down and hydrating, seek immediate medical attention.

Looking for a Safe Place to Exercise This Summer?

If the summer humidity is keeping you indoors, Sheltering Arms can help you stay active safely. We offer a comprehensive array of fitness and wellness services tailored to your unique goals, including:

Our team of experts can help you establish an exercise routine that is both effective and safe for your body.

Click here to explore the array of Fitness & Wellness Services at Sheltering Arms or call (804) 764-5275 to speak with a representative.

Share This Post:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
RehaBlog

More Posts

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Spinal Cord Injury: Innovative Upper Extremity Weight-Bearing Recovery

When you think of body weight support systems in physical rehab, walking probably comes to mind first. But did you know this technology can also transform arm, shoulder, and core recovery after a spinal cord injury? This high-intensity training helps build upper body strength, manage spasticity, improve posture, and boost overall endurance! Learn how we use advanced body weight support technology at Sheltering Arms Institute to help patients safely practice arm weight-bearing and how innovative technology is changing SCI therapy.

How Speech Therapy Can Help Your Cognition

After a stroke or brain injury, everyday thinking skills like memory, attention, and planning can feel overwhelming. Because these skills directly support how we communicate, SLPs use targeted strategies to help patients regain confidence and daily independence. Learn how cognitive-communication therapy can help.

5 Types of Adaptive Equipment for Individuals with Limb Loss

Navigating your home environment and daily life following limb loss can feel challenging at first. Fortunately, there is a robust market of adaptive equipment and assistive technology designed to make life safer, more accessible, and more efficient. Here are five key categories of adaptive equipment that can be highly beneficial following an amputation.

How to Prepare for Knee Replacement Surgery: 5 Ways to Support a Smoother Recovery

Preparing for a knee replacement involves more than scheduling surgery. The steps you take beforehand can make a real difference in how you move, feel, and recover afterward. Building strength, improving mobility, and knowing what to expect can help you go into surgery feeling more confident and better prepared. This approach is called prehabilitation, or prehab. Here are five ways to set yourself up for a smoother recovery after knee replacement.

How to Safely Exercise in the Summer Heat: 4 Essential Tips

Exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but during hot summers it can pose a health risk. If you are someone who prefers to exercise outdoors, it is important to follow precautions and know your risk. As we exercise, our muscles work and our core body temperature rises. Our circulatory system is responsible for transporting heat to the skin surface, which causes us to sweat. When it is hot and humid outside, our bodies cannot evaporate sweat as easily, trapping more heat in the body.

View All Posts

Start your Journey

Learn more about Sheltering Arms Institute

Contact a specialist at Sheltering Arms Institute to learn more about how you can gain more freedom in your everyday life.