Controlling Risks of the Summer Heat: How to Stay Injury Free
Summertime is fun time! Turn in the winter parka and dreaded snow brushes for some shorts and sunshine excitement. While the extra activity that most of us get during the summer months is great for our health, we need to take precautions to avoid a summer-spoiling injury. Below are some handy TIPS to cut back on sprains and strains that can occur while being active in the summer heat.
Ease into it: If your winter exercise regimen more closely resembled hibernation than exercise, make sure you gradually ease yourself and your body into activity this summer. Any time we go from an inactive state to an active state, we run the risk of injury. Start out slow- don’t expect that you will be able to compete at a high fitness level if you haven’t been exercising at a high fitness level for a while. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts or activity as your body adjusts to the extra activity.
Warm up in warm temps: Some people think that since the summer temperatures are warmer our bodies don’t need a proper warm up before activity. This is a common exercise myth! A proper warm up that includes some active stretching is still needed before physical activity. Just because the air is warm doesn’t mean that your muscles and joints are warm. Make sure to take at least 10 minutes prior to vigorous activity to warm up and actively stretch your body to help reduce risk of injury.
Have a drink: Higher temps can equal more sweat. Sweating is your body’s built in cooling system. As your body sweats, it releases heat and as the sweat dries on your skin, the skin surface gets cooler. Pretty neat, huh? Although this is an automatic process, we need to supplement our built-in cooling system with lots of fluid replacement! Water makes up 75% of our muscles. If we are dehydrated our muscles cannot function properly. When this happens, injuries are more common. Decreased amounts of fluids in the body usually means decreased electrolytes. This can lead to muscular cramping. If you have ever experienced dehydration-related muscular cramps, you know that nothing can stop a fun bout of exercise faster than these! Replacing fluids will help cut down on the risk of cramping. If exercise is going to be vigorous and lasting in length for more than 30 minutes, consider drinking an electrolyte replacement drink. These drinks will help replace lost fluids, lost electrolytes, and are also designed to keep you thirsty so you continue to drink.
Besides the effects of dehydration on your muscles, lack of fluids can negatively affect your joints. Joints consist of bony, muscular, ligamentous, and articular components that must move smoothly together to create pain free movement. Similar to oiling a door hinge, water helps to lubricate your joints to promote smooth, pain free motion. Without adequate fluids these joints cannot glide normally causing extra wear and tear to the joint.
So when you head out for some much needed summertime fun and exercise, make sure to take precautions-know your limits, warm up properly and drink plenty of fluids trying to avoid caffeinated beverages.