Getting Too Hot Walking? Try These Suggestions To Stay Cool

If the mention of a heat wave makes you would like to hide from the outside and curl up with a slushie in hand, you’re not alone. Getting out and about in hot temperatures—let alone attempting to exercise in them—could be daunting. But there’s no have to fear. You may still get in outdoor workouts like walking in most temps so long as you’ve got the correct preparation and approach. (Hint: It involves consuming your favorite non-caffeinated cold beverage.)

And there’s good reason to hit the pavement even when it’s hot enough to fry an egg: It’s a known undeniable fact that walking outdoors has many positive advantages for the body—whether it’s increased blood flow to the brain and higher cardiorespiratory fitness or greater feelings of overall happiness and improved mental health.

But doing all of your “hot girl walk” in hot weather can result in a major—and sometimes dangerous—increase in your body temperature. “Individuals are vulnerable to dehydration because you might be sweating very easily,” says Lee Scott, Toronto-based walking coach and founding father of WoW Power Walking. And, she adds, your core temperature can potentially reach unhealthy levels.

“Exercising in temperatures higher than 91.4 degrees Farenheit can increase the chance of heat exhaustion, which occurs when the body is unable to take care of proper blood flow to all organs and the skin for thermoregulation at the identical time,” Heather Milton, CSCS, a board-certified clinical exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center, previously told Well+Good. Signs of warmth exhaustion to look out for include excessive fatigue, fainting, and never feeling in a position to exercise any longer.

So how are you going to safely sustain your each day 10,000 steps (or nonetheless many you wish to aim for)? Scott, co-author of The Walking Solution, shared with Well+Good some suggestions that might help make walking in the warmth more bearable. Before you grab your Airpods and soak in your each day dose of vitamin D, listed here are a couple of things to know.

1. Attempt to walk within the early mornings or late evenings

“I at all times recommend people exit early within the day, and I believe it’s a typical tip amongst exercisers before all of the smog builds up,” says Scott. Not only is it cooler, the air quality is often higher very first thing within the morning. Should you are unable to slot in a walk early on, walking at night when temperatures are lower can also be an option.

2. Select your path properly

This might sound like common sense, but it might probably truly make a difference: Walk on a trail or path that has shaded areas. Should you are in a city, walk along a tree-lined avenue or in between tall buildings that supply shade from the sun. One smart strategy is to go somewhere with shops—this fashion you may step into the air-con for a couple of minutes if you’ll want to. For individuals who live in a suburban or rural area, select a trail that has loads of shaded areas and places to hydrate (like public water fountains at a park).

If nowhere outside feels comfortable, don’t rule out an indoor mall, which can allow you to stay inside air-con and avoid UV rays when you’re at it.

3. Keep your head and face cool

Keeping the top cool can assist you to decrease your body’s rising temperatures as you walk. “I often wet my hat to maintain cool,” says Scott. (This can be a strategy that pro marathon runners use, too.)

Studies show that head cooling helps to enhance athletic performance and reduces fatigue following a workout. Intermittent face cooling resembling face misting has also been found to enhance endurance in hot environments. Try running cool water over your head at any time when you pass a water fountain or carrying ice water which you can dump on top once you begin to get too toasty.

Also, it might probably help to maintain your face out of the sun: Wear a visor, sunglasses, or a hat.

4. Stay hydrated and be prepared to sweat!

You have heard it before, nevertheless it’s value repeating: As you sweat, you’ll want to replenish your body with fluids. On hot days, it is best to hydrate every 15 to twenty minutes with a minimum of eight ounces of water when exercising in the warmth, in keeping with the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. If there aren’t water fountains in your route, bring along a water bottle. And in case you’re on the market for a very long time, or in case you know you’re a heavy sweater, consider adding electrolytes.

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5. Try pre- and post-cooling

Before heading out into high temps, you may prepare your body by cooling off inside (aka standing in front of the AC, perhaps with a few ice packs) and drinking cold beverages like a slushie or smoothie. Research shows that these strategies can reduce your body’s core temperature even once you start to exercise, helping to enhance your safety and endurance while exerting yourself in hot weather.

And don’t ignore bringing your body temp back down after you’re done walking: Scott also suggests taking a cool shower after your workout, if possible.

6. Dress strategically

Aim to wear lightweight, breathable attire in light colours that reflect within the sun. Tight-fitting clothes can trap the warmth, and designs that leave room for skin-to-skin contact (like tank tops) may cause chafing, depending in your body, so test out different styles until you discover what’s comfortable for you. And stick to sweat-wicking socks—old-school cotton options can find yourself creating friction and result in blisters. Lastly, Scott recommends selecting comfortable trainers that feature mesh material on top and have a low heel profile.

7. Take heed to your body

If at any time you start to feel excessive fatigue or feel like you may’t walk any further, give yourself a break. “Should you absolutely feel just like the heat is simply too much, then you’ll want to stop walking and discover a cool place within the shade to bring your temperature down or step indoors,” says Scott. Should you keep pushing through, you would put yourself in danger for heatstroke, which requires immediate medical attention.

8. Give yourself time to acclimate

Should you are recent to walking or the temps have suddenly spiked, remember your body has to turn out to be acclimatized to the warmth. Over the course of a couple of weeks, your body will steadily adjust to walking in the warmth. Start slowly with shorter walks at an affordable pace. “Over time you’ll give you the chance to extend your pace,” says Scott. “Trust what your body is telling you by way of speed.”