Anyone who has gone jogging on a hot, humid day knows how painful it can be — not only because your shirt is stuck to your back, experts say, but also because of the humidity. makes exercise much more difficult.
That’s because sweat on your skin doesn’t evaporate easily, said JohnEric Smith, associate professor of exercise physiology at Mississippi State University. Sweat itself doesn’t cool you, he says, but rather the evaporation of the sweat. However, when the air is already thick with water vapor, “the moisture in our skin has nowhere to go,” he said.
As a result, humid air makes it harder for your body to cool down. This can stress the cardiovascular system, reduce blood flow to the muscles and make us tired more quickly than in drier climates. Although there isn’t much independent research on how humidity affects the body, small studies on the subject have consistently found that athletes begin to fatigue more quickly once relative humidity reaches around 60 percent. (If you exercise in dry weather, here is a guide.)
But that doesn’t mean you have to move all your workouts indoors if you live in a sauna-like area from June to September. Here are four things you can do to stay cool during the summer months ahead.
Give your body a few weeks to adapt.
The more you exercise in hot and humid conditions, the more your body adapt and improve its ability to cool itself, Dr. Smith said. (The same is true, but reversed, in cold weather.) But because exercising in hot, humid weather is more taxing on the body than in drier conditions, it’s essential to give yourself time to adapt to avoid overheating and exhaustion. .
In just a few days, your body will start sweating more and sooner, which will help regulate its temperature, Dr. Smith said. You will even start to see an increase blood volumewhat benefits your heart and circulation.
“You see big changes from the first days of exposure,” he said, but “it usually takes about two weeks to fully adapt.”
When the weather turns humid, Dr. Smith recommends doing shorter, gentler workouts that slowly increase in duration and intensity over two to three weeks, until you’re back to your previous exercise routine. If you typically run six miles at a 10-minute pace, reduce it to three miles at a 12-minute pace and add speed and mileage as the humidity begins to be less oppressive.
Keep your skin fresh.
Since humidity can raise your body temperature more than dry heat, it’s even more important to keep your skin cool during exercise, said Ahmad Munir Che Muhamed, associate professor of physiology at the exercise at the University of Science Malaysia, which studies the influence of heat and humidity. athletic performance.
Keep as much skin exposed to the air as possible during exercise, which will make it easier for sweat to evaporate. (Make sure you wear sunscreen to avoid sun damage.) You should also avoid wearing cotton clothing, he said, which traps moisture, creating a layer of insulation around your body. Instead, wear clothing described as quick-drying or moisture-wicking.
Drying your skin with a towel or wiping the sweat with your wet t-shirt may make you more comfortable in the moment, but it actually interrupts the evaporation process because it removes moisture from your skin, a said Dr. Smith. You might be better off letting the sweat run down you, as long as it doesn’t get in your eyes.
And if you’re exercising in the same place, such as playing tennis or attending an outdoor boot camp, spray yourself with cold water at regular intervals and dry yourself with a portable fan, recommended Dr. Amy Beacom, a primary care sports medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic. If you run, do it after a workout for quick relief.
Hydrate yourself, but don’t overdo it.
Humid air can lead to dehydration. The less your sweat evaporates, the hotter you feel and the more you sweat, which depletes vital fluids and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, said Ronald Maughan, visiting professor of exercise science at the University. from St. Andrews in Scotland.
Make sure you hydrate before exercising, so you won’t train dehydrated. The American Council on Exercise recommended drink two to three cups of water a few hours before working out.
Once you move, the Mayo Clinic recommended drink fluids throughout, but ultimately “drink until thirsty” to avoid overhydration, which can dilute the sodium into your blood and damage your kidneys.
Think about when and where to exercise.
Humidity is highest in the morning in most places, before the sun dries the moisture from the atmosphere. Start regularly checking the humidity level in your area at different times of the day and plan your workouts accordingly. Dr. Smith recommends shows from The Weather Channel application.
And when you can, choose a shady spot or path to exercise, Dr. Maughan said. When your body is already working hard not to overheat in high humidity, exercising in direct sunlight is like adding fuel to the fire. Heat, humidity, the intensity of the sun and even the wind all influence how you feel outdoors, he said. “All these different factors interact.”
