Summer is a wonderful time of year. With the warm weather comes a greater opportunity for fitness, but also an increased chance of overheating.
Though metabolism is a heat generating process, the body’s natural regulating mechanisms—like sweating—are usually able to dissipate that heat, maintaining a safe internal body temperature.
Problems arise, however, when the external temperature and humidity reach higher extremes and activity levels increase. When these things happen, as in summer, the body’s internal temperature can reach dangerous—even deadly—levels.
With that in mind, Bayou Fitness and Total Trainer believe that it’s important for you to know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, as well as important steps you can take to keep your workout healthy during extremes in heat and humidity.
Heat exhaustion usually precedes heat stroke. According to Medicinenet.com, signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
Don’t be fooled into thinking heat exhaustion ALWAYS precedes heat stroke. According to Medicinenet.com, many people can develop heat stroke suddenly and without warning. Signs and symptoms of heat stroke, which can be deadly, include:
- High body temperature
- Absence of sweating, accompanied by hot red or flushed dry skin
- Rapid pulse
- Difficulty breathing
- Hallucinations
- Confusion/disorientation
- Agitation
- Seizure
- Coma
If you experience any of these signs and symptoms, stop exercising and seek immediate medical attention!
With that in mind, let’s look at a several things you can do during workouts to avoid heat-related health problems:
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Drink before you get thirsty and before you begin your workout. If you are thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. And avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it increases your need to urinate. Water and electrolyte drinks are best for re-hydrating.
- Eat regularly. Heat can decrease your appetite, so it’s important to try and maintain your caloric intake. Small meals 5-6 times per day are best. Eat more fruits and vegetables. They’re higher in water content and can aid in re-hydration.
- Wear light, breathable, and loose fitting clothes. If you sweat a lot, try to find clothing that wicks moisture away from the skin.
- Apply sunscreen. Sport sunscreens tend to be paba-free, which keeps from burning your eyes during sweating. In addition, sunburn can be painful and can inhibit body cooling.
- Use common sense. Check the weather forecast and adjust your workout accordingly.
Understanding how to care for your body in any climate, let’s dive into one of my popular exercise routines on the Total Trainer to keep you not only feeling good but looking good.
Let’s be honest. The summer sun can mean more exposed skin and more time out in public at the beach, lake or pool. Those things bring increased anxiety if we aren’t happy with our appearance, particularly with our hips and buns.
With that in mind, I’d like to show you a wonderful Total Trainer exercise to help keep your hips aligned and build a firmer, summer-worthy buttock.
Bridge Roll Up on the Total Trainer – (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
-Have the gravity board leveled on number 4 or 5 and lie at the bottom edge of the board, face up. Place the balls of your feet on the toe bar with your knees and feet hip-width apart.
-Starting with your legs straight, exhale and begin to glide down the gravity rail, bending your knees as you go. Slowly raise your hips off the board until you are positioned into the bridge pose (see the image on the page).
-When in the bridge pose, be sure to lift your hips up toward the ceiling while keeping your upper shoulders relaxed. You will be lightly engaging your thighs and buttocks.
-When returning to the resting position, slowly exhale and lower the spine downward—one vertebrae at a time—keeping your chin tucked in and your shoulders resting in the board.
-Continue this cycle twelve times, staying focused on raising and lowering your spine methodically on the board.
-Be certain to keep your eyes looking forward past your feet. This will help align the muscles along the neck and develop steady whole body coordination.
-Do this routine at least three times a week and you’ll begin to notice firmer hips, buttock, and thighs—and a sweeter gait!
Consider joining Healthy Fit Studio and receive many other fun and challenging exercises such as this, with Colette and the Total Trainer.