Tips For Exercising Outdoors Safely in Hot and Humid Summer Weather

Staying Active Outdoors in Hot Summer Weather

Warmer months welcome opportunities for getting outside and exercising in the sunshine. But higher temperatures and humidity levels require taking some precautions to keep workouts safe and prevent dangerous overheating, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses.

Know the Heat Index

The heat index, also called the “real feel” or “apparent temperature,” combines air temperature and humidity levels to determine overall heat exposure risk levels on any given day. Check local weather forecasts and apps to see daily heat index readings in your area before planning outdoor summer workouts.

Exercise Early or Late

Adjust workout timing based on weather forecasts to take advantage of cooler morning or evening temps and lower sun angles. The most intense midday sun and heat typically occurs between 10 am and 6 pm. Rising before dawn or heading out after dusk provides temperature relief.

Choose Shaded Routes

Map outdoor running, cycling and hiking paths that offer plenty of tree canopy coverage or even man-made shade structures. Avoid direct sunlight beating down on you to prevent overheating.

Seeking Natural Shade

Plan routes through parks, wooded trails, and neighborhood side streets offering plenty of shade trees. Cloud cover from a partly sunny day also cuts the sun exposure while still allowing you to exercise outside.

Building Shade Structures

If no natural shade exists where you want to work out, consider adding shade components like light-filtering awning or canopy tents, patio umbrellas, or wooden arbors grown over with dense vines. These provide cooler covered spaces to exercise protected from the blazing sun.

Dress Appropriately

Wear loose, breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics that feel cool against your skin and reflect heat instead of absorbing it. Light summer workout clothing helps facilitate evaporative cooling via sweating to keep your body from overheating.

Prioritize Fabrics

Choose workout wear made of lightweight, sweat-wicking materials like polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene which dry fast and feel cool next to skin. Avoid non breathable fabrics like vinyl, rubber, and some densely woven cottons.

Pick Light Colors

Wear white or other pale colored clothing under the summer sun. Dark tops and pants absorb heat more increasing body temperature, strain, and fatigue faster compared to reflective light hues.

Prevent Sunburn

When skin gets burned, the body has to pump more blood to affected areas creating cardio stress. Cover up with long sleeves, pants, and hats or liberally apply broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen to all exposed areas.

Upgrade Sweat-Resistance

Invest in quality sweat-proof sport headphones and activity trackers so you can still listen to motivating music and monitor workout performance despite heat and humidity. Seek waterproof options if also sweating excessively.

Bone Conduction Headphones

This type of technology delivers sound via cheekbones instead of blocking ears or inserting buds prone to slipping out when wet. Aftershokz and other brands offer excellent sweat-resistant bone conduction headphone options with long battery life and good sound for vigorous activity.

Smartwatches

Many fitness watches like Garmin, COROS, and Apple watches boast extensive sweat-resistance protection allowing you to track pace, distance, heart rate metrics, and more without damage. Compare waterproofing specs when selecting a durable smartwatch.

Skip Sauna Suits and Plastic Wraps

Avoid dangerous methods some still falsely believe “sweat out toxins” or "strengthen endurance." Wearing sauna suits, impermeable plastic wraps, or excessive layers when exercising in heat and humidity carries high risk of heat stroke.

The Fallacy of Sweat Cleansing

No scientific evidence supports concepts that purposefully overheating by intense sweating somehow eliminates toxins or impurities from the body. Human sweat contains mostly water derived from blood plasma along with tiny amounts of salts, minerals, and metabolites - not wastes.

The Risk of Overheating

Any barriers trapping heat against your body prevents the skin from cooling itself adequately by evaporating sweat. This causes core body temperature to keep rising unchecked reaching hazardous levels well above 104°F. Without swift cooling, life-threatening heatstroke causing brain damage and organ failure can occur.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Dehydration ranks among the most common and dangerous summertime threats to outdoor exercisers. But drinking enough fluids before, during and after workouts minimizes adverse effects of heat and humidity exposure.

How Much to Drink

Aim for 7-10 oz cool water every 20 minutes when active in heat. Sports drinks like Gatorade or Pedialyte can replenish electrolyte losses from heavy sweating above 90°F too. Just avoid sweet colorful drinks with high calorie/carb content.

Tips For Easy Access

Carry leak-proof bottles, wear purpose-designed hydration belts with pockets, or stash cups at strategic spots along your planned route. Having water easily accessible makes actually drinking it effortlessly too.

Remember Electrolytes

Straight water gets absorbed rapidly leaving blood volume low and electrolytes imbalanced. Alternating hydration drinks, coconut water, milk, or snack foods like watermelon, oranges, pickles, pretzels every 20-30 minutes tops off minerals.

Listen To Your Body

Ultimately getting through intense summer workouts hinges on paying attention to warning signs from your body and heeding its signals to moderate activity when needed.

Early Flags

Catch escalations by tuning into initial symptoms like muscle cramps, headaches, nausea, clammy skin. Cue yourself to drink more fluids, slow down, get cooling relief.

Stop Exercising If...

HALT all strenuous exercise right away if experiencing chest pain, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, confusion, loss of coordination, or blurred vision which indicate developing heat-related illness.

Know When To Get Help

Call 911 immediately if symptoms worsen to seizures, unconsciousness or inability to drink fluids which signal dangerous heat stroke requiring emergency cooling and medical intervention.

Take Regular Breaks

Regardless of fitness level or conditioning, schedule short rest intervals every 20-30 minutes when exercising intensely in heat and humidity to promote cooling.

Active Recovery

Walk, gently stretch or do other light movement during breaks to circulate air flow for convection cooling. This prevents muscles from stiffening up with sudden stopping then having to restart exercising.

Hydration Check

Breaks ensure you pause to reapply sunscreen if needed and drink more fluids critical for regulating body temperature, blood flow, and energy. Dehydration accelerates overheating risk.

Find Quick Relief

Stand/sit in shade, splash with cold water, apply ice towels, remove extra clothing layers, or use personal cooling fans/misting devices. Just 5-10 minutes chilling out does wonders before resuming activity.

Prep an Emergency Plan

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst by having emergency procedures in place should a group member experience dangerous overheating during summer workouts.

Buddy System

Exercise with a partner and encourage newcomers to do the same. Having others attentive to signs of heat illness allows quicker response if someone starts struggling.

Rescue Transportation

Confirm someone has a car nearby at practices and events ready to transport distressed participants to urgent care if needed. Ambulances may not arrive quickly enough.

Cool First Aid

Store ice, cold packs, and towels onsite to immediately

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.