Heat and exercise: Keeping cool in hot weather

Stay safe during hot-weather exercise by drinking enough fluids, wearing proper clothing and timing your workout to avoid extreme heat.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Whether you’re running, playing a pickup game of basketball or going for a power walk, take care when the temperatures rise. If you exercise outdoors in hot weather, use these common-sense precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses.

How heat affects your body

Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your body. If you don’t take care when exercising in the heat, you risk serious illness. Both the exercise itself and the air temperature increase your core body temperature. To help cool itself, your body sends more blood to circulate through your skin. This leaves less blood for your muscles, which in turn increases your heart rate. If the humidity also is high, your body faces added stress because sweat doesn’t readily evaporate from your skin. That pushes your body temperature even higher.

Heat-related illness

Under normal conditions, your skin, blood vessels and perspiration level adjust to the heat. But these natural cooling systems may fail if you’re exposed to high temperatures and humidity for too long, you sweat heavily and you don’t drink enough fluids. The result may be a heat-related illness. Heat-related illnesses occur along a spectrum, starting out mild but worsening if left untreated. Heat illnesses include:

• Heat cramps. Heat cramps are painful muscle contractions, mainly affecting the calves, quadriceps and abdominals. Affected muscles may feel firm to the touch. Your body temperature may be normal.
• Heat exhaustion. With heat exhaustion, your body temperature rises as high as 104 F (40 C) and you may experience nausea, vomiting, headache, fainting, weakness and cold, clammy skin. If left untreated, this can lead to heatstroke.
• Heatstroke. Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency condition that occurs when your body temperature is greater than 104 F (40 C). Your skin may be hot, but your body may stop sweating to help cool itself. You may develop confusion and irritability. You need immediate medical attention to prevent brain damage, organ failure or even death

Do toning shoes really work?

from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.

Despite the claims, there is no convincing evidence that wearing toning shoes will make your legs more toned or cause you to burn extra calories.

Toning shoes are designed to simulate walking barefoot or walking on an uneven surface. Manufacturers say the unstable design of the shoes forces wearers to use their leg muscles more — which burns more calories and tones the muscles. However, an independent study by a nonprofit fitness organization found no evidence that wearing toning shoes leads to improved muscle tone or greater energy expenditure. In addition, there are no studies that prove that they improve balance or stability to a great degree.

If you like the way toning shoes look and find them comfortable and not too unstable, there’s probably no harm in trying a pair. And if you increase your activity as a result, you’ll benefit your overall health.

Benefits of Exercise- No. 7: Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 6: Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there’s more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don’t exercise.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 4: Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

Benefits of Exercise- No. 3: Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 1: Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don’t need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can’t do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores.]

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Variety: The Spice of Fitness

Is your exercise routine as predictable as the sunrise? Do you hop on the elliptical, set the same resistance and workout for an equal amount of time each day? Or maybe you follow the same loop in your neighborhood each time you head out for a walk.

If you’re doing the same exercise routine day in and day out, it may be time to switch it up. A regular fitness regimen is great for health, but one that lacks variety could set you up for failure. Spicing up your exercise program can be the key to success.

The benefits of mixing up your workouts
Varying your fitness plan will keep you mentally stimulated and physically fit. Change up your routine to:

1. Stave off boredom. If you’re finding it more and more challenging to schlep to the gym each day, you may be stuck in an exercise rut. Repeating the same workouts over and over can be boring. One study found that people who changed their fitness routines every two weeks over an eight-week period enjoyed their workouts more and were more likely to keep exercising than people who didn’t alter their routines.
2. Improve results. Your body gets used to doing the same workouts, and in time it will stop responding. This can lead to a fitness or weight loss plateau. It takes your muscles about six to eight weeks to adapt to a workout. After that, you may stop getting results. Adding some variety to your sweat sessions will challenge different parts of your body and lead to better results.
3. Prevent injury. Overuse injuries happen when a repetitive motion – like running or biking – harms the bones, tendons or joints over time. A new activity will still give you the cardiovascular benefits you need to stay in shape, with less risk of overuse injury.

How to change it up
Four out of five people who start an exercise program won’t stick with it. Switching up your routine may help keep you from dropping out. Always talk to your doctor first before you increase your activity level.

1. Find a new activity. Go for a swim, or try ice skating or rock climbing. Choose an activity you enjoy doing and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Remember, exercise doesn’t have to be done in a gym for it to count. Any time you’re physically active, it’s exercise.
2. Take a class. Try a fitness class, like spinning, yoga, kickboxing or step aerobics. It’s the fitness instructor’s job to keep the class fresh and challenging.
3. Change the order. If you always follow the same strength-training routine, switch the order of your exercises.
4. Try intervals. Sprinkle short bursts of intensity throughout your workout session. Add speed, resistance or a hill to your cardio workout. Interval training gets you out of your exercise comfort zone, and keeps your body guessing.
5. Challenge yourself. Walk or run a local race. If you’ve already tackled the 5K distance, try a 10K run or longer. Not a runner? Sign up for a walk or bike race instead. Training will challenge your body and mind.
6. Change the scenery. Take your run to a local park instead of jogging around your neighborhood. If you’re a gym rat, try a bike ride outdoors.
7. Get a buddy. Invite a friend or family member along on your walks or trips to the gym. Combining exercise time with socializing may make the time fly by. And, you’ll be less likely to skip your workouts if someone is counting on you.

The Benefits of a Personal Trainer

If you’re having a hard time getting motivated at the health club, or just don’t feel like you’re getting enough out of your exercise routine, consider hiring a personal trainer. More than just an instructor, a personal trainer can help you come up with the right workout plan to meet your goals. Whether it’s losing a few pounds, toning up your arms, or flattening your stomach for swimsuit season, a personal trainer can help you get there.
Personal trainer

How a Personal Trainer Can Help

Hiring a personal trainer means both a financial commitment and a time commitment to your health and fitness. A personal trainer can help you:

* Get started. A personal trainer can guide you down the path to fitness by creating a specific exercise routine for you.
* Learn proper technique and form. If you’re not doing exercises the right way, it can lead to injury that can sideline you. By doing them right, you’re staying safe and also getting the maximum benefit from your workout.
* Achieve your goals. If you’ve always wanted to lose that last 20 pounds, tone up your body, or just be a healthier person, but you haven’t quite been able to get there on your own, a personal trainer can help keep you on track.

Even a few sessions with a personal trainer can be worthwhile. “Everyone can benefit from education and different points of view,” says Jody Swimmer, an exercise specialist and owner of Fitness on Frankfort in Louisville, Ky.

The Personal Trainer: Finding the Best Trainer for You

If you think a personal trainer might be beneficial, keep these things in mind when searching for someone who fits your needs:

* Try out a trainer. “If you’re a member of a gym, ask for a list of trainers, and ask what their education and experiences are, and then watch them. Or just buy one session and get a feel for their personality and skills,” says Swimmer.
* Look for qualifications and style. You want a personal trainer who is educated and certified by a reputable organization, such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. Beyond certification, you want to make sure that the trainer is a good fit for you and your workout style.
* Search online. Many organizations that certify personal trainers have Web sites that allow you to search for such a trainer in your area. This may be a good place to start if you don’t belong to a gym.
* Ask yourself how well they teach. A personal trainer should do more than just give you exercises to do. “From a one-on-one personal training experience, it should be all about you, your needs, and special issues you’re dealing with,” Swimmer says. “Your trainer shouldn’t be someone to just lead you through exercises; they should be teaching you these exercises.”