Heat calls for extra caution during workouts

Summer fitness workouts can be more of a hazard than helpful if certain considerations are not taken into account.

“You’ve got to think about climate,” personal trainer Lisa Griffin said. “You know your body better than anyone else. Just because Susie can go out at 1 and do four miles, doesn’t mean you can.

“If you are getting lightheaded or feeling any kind of abnormal unease, you need to slowly cool down and go inside.”

There are many options for working out, especially in this heat. Some prefer outdoors. Others would rather be in a climate-controlled environment. But there are others who enjoy mixing up workouts being indoors and outdoors.

“I see the importance of it all,” Kirstine Campbell said. “There isn’t going to be a one-stop shop for anybody when it comes to fitness. You’re going to have things that are better for some versus others.”

Campbell has clients who love working out in a gym. But some of her clients “just want to be outdoors and find different ways to do it.”

For those wanting to start or extend an exercise regimen beyond the gym and go outdoors, “it needs to be short bouts,” Campbell said. “Twenty minutes tops to get going.”

Both Campbell and Griffin advise that workouts should be done in the early morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler.

“It doesn’t mean that the humidity feels a lot lower but it’s still going to be cooler and bearable,” Campbell said. “They might start training under the stadium where there’s shade versus getting out on the track.”

Do the majority of the workout under stadium bleachers or in the shade. And follow up with short little bursts out in the sun, if that is a person’s preference.

Hydration is also key for optimal workouts.

“Drinking water should not be limited to just workouts,” Campbell said. “When we’re in hot days like this, you’ve got to be drinking more fluids, particularly water and your low sugar sports drinks … more regularly.”

Hydrate before, during, and after workouts. Recommendations are water, sports drinks low in sugar, and mixing a bottle of water with half of the sports drink.

“When you’re working in really, really hot weather like this outdoors, you’re sweating so much more that you do need to be hydrating that much more,” Campbell said.

“It’s not just water. You’ve got to get electrolytes back into you to keep you electronically balanced.”

Campbell, whose certification includes nutrition, said a sports drink blended with sodium, potassium and magnesium is beneficial for replenishing electrolytes in the body.

While water is great for hydration, it does not replenish electrolytes. And solely drinking sports drinks is not necessarily a best practice, which is why Campbell suggests diluting the sports drink with water.

“If you just drink water straight, you’re just flushing your system,” Campbell said. “You need to be replenishing your body. People wonder why they’re light-headed and they’re dragging.

“A lot of that isn’t because they’ve been out in the sun, but it’s because they’ve depleted the electrolytes that they’ve got in their body.”

For those choosing to go exercise outdoors at the height of the day, for whatever reason, they really should take somebody with them, Campbell said.

“Not for accountability but to be there for them just in case something happens to them, worst case scenario, especially when it’s this hot,” Campbell said. “Or at the least, let somebody know where they’re going to be.”

Parks with lots of trees are optional locations for outdoor workouts. Also, working out in a garage with the door up and air circulating well throughout space is another option.

The Centers for Disease Control suggests the following for summer workouts:

—Limit outdoor activity, especially at midday when the sun is hottest.

—Wear and re-apply sunscreen as indicated on the package.

—Schedule workouts and practices earlier or later in the day when the temperature is cooler.

—Pace activity. Start activities slowly and pick up the pace gradually.

—Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more. Muscle cramping may be an early sign of heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

—Monitor workout partner’s condition, and have someone do the same for you.

—Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

—Seek medical care immediately if you or a workout partner has symptoms of heat-related illness.

Griffin is a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness in Morgan City. Campbell is a fitness manager at Atchafalaya 24 Hour Fitness Center.