Wherever you may be in the world, if it is summer, tasting it year after year doesn't make you crave it any less. After sunset, as we wind down from a day at the office, if we are lucky enough to have the hot weather, we overrun pretty much every outdoor scenic setting we can find around us.
Meanwhile, fitness clubs become quiet and lonely places, where only the hardest of the hardcore are left to pump up with all the available equipment and vacant mirror space they ever wished for.
Most of us are happy to simply give the gym a miss and pursue other sun-soaked interests. Pilates and yoga are a delight when practised outdoors. Being in touch with nature whilst practising your swan dive is a must if you dare do it!
If you have never practised pilates and considering you will now be exposing more flesh than ever before, is this really the right time to stop training? Don't let your hard work go to waste, take up pilates or yoga, both are excellent routines that will preserve your fitness and keep that body fit for your summer wardrobe.
The body is happiest at around 37 degrees celcius. Any hotter or colder and problems arise. The body has to constantly monitor and regulate its temperature to stay healthy. This is known as thermoregulation. Now the problem in summer is that our surrounding environment is normally hotter than the surface of our skin, so we actually gain heat by means of conduction and radiation.
If the body does not have some sort of means to cool itself, we would continue to get hotter and hotter until we fried.
Now the problem with exercise is that when muscles contract, heat is generated inside the body. So when exercising in hot conditions, the body must contend not only with the heat coming from our surroundings, but also the heat generated from within. If our natural cooling mechanisms can't keep up, internal temperature will rise, and since our body is happiest at 37 degrees, things could get nasty.
The body's favourite method of offloading heat in such conditions is evaporation. When we feel hot we sweat, but the action of sweating itself doesn't actually cool us down. It is the evaporation of sweat off the surface of our skin that causes a cooling effect.
We we sweat too much, we lose body fluid, so dehydration is the first enemy we must defend against. By the time we feel thirsty we are already dehydrated. If fluids are not replaced then heat exhaustion will ensue. Felling nauseous and faint are the first clear signs of heat exhaustion.
If the situation persists, we could regress into heat stroke, a condition where the body completely loses the ability to cool itself. The skin becomes red hot, confusion sets in and finally we lose consciousness. Prevention is far better than cure in these cases and with a little planning, you can still work out safely and effectively.
Particular attention should be taken when exercising in humid conditions. When the surrounding environment is very humid, sweat cannot evaporate off the skin, so we lose our most powerful cooling mechanism.
In humid conditions, we overheat much faster without even realising it. So when it's too humid, you must exercise indoors and drink plenty of water. Also exercise indoors during the hottest times of the day. Direct sunlight will heat you up a lot faster, so as a general rule, between 11am and 3 pm you don't really want to be outside testing the limits of human endurance.
Remember than when we train we generate heat, so the more energy we expend, the more heat we generate. Particularly hot days, therefore, are not the time to break any records. Ease off on the intensity and duration and include more rest to give the body a chance to cool down.
Drink water before, during and after your workout. Staying hydrated is the key, because the fluid you lose when you sweat must be replaced. If there's no more fluid left to sweat then your body can no longer cool itself. If you've been working out for a while, anything over 45 minutes, then you will also benefit from an electrolyte replacement drink or water spiked with re-hydration sachets.
If you must engage in physical activity outdoors, wear light coloured clothing to reflect the heat, and a hat to keep direct sunlight off your head and face. Loose fitting clothing will be more comfortable, and slap on loads of suncream to protect your skin.
If you feel light headed or dizzy, it's definately time to stop, as these are sure signs of the onset of heat exhaustion. Recognise the signs early and don't let your condition worsen. You must cool down and rehydrate. Find a cool place in the shade or indoors and drink cool water.
Finally, when you get home, wait until you stop sweating and shower as soon as possible to avoid skin irritation. So don't give up your physical activity; by staying cool this summer you can have a body that's hotter than ever.
This article is published by Audra H. from Focus-Pilates. Focus-Pilates is an online resource engaging the Pilates community all over the world. Our website is filled with training articles, sport-specific articles, video exercises, resources, product reviews and tips for professionals and enthusiasts. Whether you are teaching or participating in Pilates, you are going to be immersed in the information this website provides. The training information is invaluable, the product reviews are informative and the resources are abundant.
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