......and my top tips are to wear sunscreen, keep as covered up as possible in cool clothing and make sure you avoid dehydration. All very obvious but I seem to slip up on this every year! I now keep sunscreen right by the front door in full sight to remind me to use it every time I go out.
When rehydrating it's worth considering how much you have been exercising and whether you would benefit from drinks such as coconut water, milk, sour cherry juice or green or black tea to help recovery. Some drinks are easier for the body to rehydrate from then plain water and you may find it interesting to read up around this. If you are sweating heavily it is also worth considering how that is affecting you; it may be an idea to choose an appropriate drink to replace electrolytes or to have a suitable snack with your water.
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| Daisy exercising in the park; she rehydrated in a stream. |
It is also wise to remember the effect heat has on your body (and brain!) As well as the serious health risks of heat stroke, dehydration can affect our tendon and muscle function and recovery, possibly increasing the risk of injury. It causes us to become stiffer and makes it harder for nutrients to be delivered around the body and wastes removed. During hot spells, especially when acclimatising, maybe consider changing your exercise plans to be easier or to take advantage of cooler times of day and shadier routes. Remember that heat may also be affecting your sleep and that fatigue may reduce exercise performance and have an impact on recovery and injury. Make sure you also know the early symptoms of heat stroke, and what action to take if you spot them in yourself or the people you are with.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/
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| Highland cattle keeping cool. |
Thankfully my treatment room at the 919 Clinic is lovely and cool - the advantage of being in the basement although I do miss having natural light. I am open as usual over the summer, 10-5.15 weekdays with early closing on Wednesdays.
