Cool Treats to Beat the Heat

Summer means festival season in the U.S., and like many families we spent last Saturday walking the midway at a local fair. It was fun, but also tremendously hot. At one point, I stopped at a booth for a lemonade to help me cool down. Lemonade wasn’t my first choice, but I had no idea how bad it was about to become. Continue reading…

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Cool Treats to Beat the Heat

5 Tips to Stay Cool During Your Summer Workouts

Filed under: Fitness Getty Images My clients and I love to head outdoors once spring hits; running along a lake or playing sand volleyball sure beats the indoor versions of treadmill running and indoor gym play. Once the summer hits, though, it can be a struggle to stay outside if the weather is hazy, hot, and humid. It’s no fun working out in what feels like a Turkish Bath. Here are five quick tips to keep you outside and having fun: Go early or go late. Get up before the heat really has a chance to take over; an early morning workout is calming and cool, plus you get to feel virtuous all day. A late sunset workout has it’s own charms. It’s a great way to wind down after a hot day, and even a 10-degree drop will feel much cooler than the midday sun. Drink water before you go. Our bodies’ natural cooling system is through sweat. If you’re dehydrated then you’re not sweating as efficiently and you’ll feel hotter. Have a nice glass of water 20 to 30 minutes before you hit the great outdoors and you’ll glide smoothly through your workout. Bring water with you. You need to four to eight ounces of water for every 15 to 20 minutes of exercise. It’s better to follow the eight ounce guideline when you’re exerting yourself in high heat and humidity. Make sure you bring more water than usual to stay hydrated and functioning properly because, after all, heat stroke isn’t fun. Wear light colored clothing. I’m a Red Sox fan and I always run with my navy blue hat in the fall and spring. I switch over to a light blue one in the summer because the darker hat absorbs much more heat. The same is true for your clothes; light colors reflect the sun and dark colors absorb it. If you want to feel 10 degrees hotter, go exercise in a dark outfit and see how quickly you melt. Switch your workouts. If you normally only do one type of workout, switch things up and try outdoor activities that torch a ton of calories and are cooler. Beach volleyball takes advantage of the ocean breeze; kayaking in a cool river is a huge calorie burn and a cool ride; swimming is a natural. I’m also a fan of hiking — it’s a great butt workout and you’re in the leafy calm of a wooded trail. For more ideas about outdoor workouts, read how to create an outdoor circuit . Permalink | Email this | Comments

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5 Tips to Stay Cool During Your Summer Workouts

Fit Running: Summer Running Mistakes

Filed under: Fitness , Fit Running , Running Getty Images You run in the early morning or late evening to beat the heat and you up your water intake during all of your warm-weather runs , but if your summer running plan ends there, you’re missing some important considerations. That’s Fit tapped heat and sports medicine specialists to find out what common mistakes runners make so you can tweak your training and run safely all summer. Mistake 1: Not allowing yourself to acclimatize to the heat Running during the summer doesn’t just seem harder, it is harder — at least at first. Your body takes 10 to 14 days to adjust to the heat, said Rebecca Stearns, heat stroke specialist at the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut . “Over the course of those two weeks you’ll see changes in your sweat and the amount of sodium in your sweat as well as your heart rate,” she said. “Pay close attention during those first hot, humid days to how much water you’re drinking and how hard you’re running.” Mistake 2: Running at the same intensity as you do in cooler temperatures Your body’s ability to cool itself plays a big role in how well you run during the summer. And one of the biggest contributors to heat accumulation is how hard you’re running. “Running at a high intensity, particularly in the early days when you’re not acclimatized to the heat will kick up your body temperature more than anything else,” said Stearns. Dialing back the intensity and duration may ultimately help you run stronger. Mistake 3: Being unaware of the cumulative effect of running in the heat The dog days of summer might not be the best time to amp up your running routine. “Consider [the number of] previous running bouts in the heat when planning subsequent exercise sessions,” said Dr. Scott Pyne, former medical director of the Marine Corps Marathon. “Know your body and listen to what it tells you,” he said. “If you feel poorly before or during a workout give yourself permission to stop, modify or adjust it.” Mistake 4: Wearing clothing that doesn’t allow for efficient sweating Cotton may be the backbone of your summer wardrobe, but it’s not for running. “Dress for the environment by wearing layers that can be removed or added depending upon your body’s response,” said Pyne. He suggests wearing synthetic fibers to “draw sweat away from your skin surface to enhance evaporation.” Mistake 5: Getting a sunburn It’s not just painful — a sunburn also decreases sweating, said Pyne. “Avoid sunburn by running outside of peak sun hours, using sunscreen and wearing appropriate protective clothing,” he said. For more healthy summer tips, try Dr. Oz’s summer weight loss strategies . Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Fit Running: Summer Running Mistakes

You Asked: The Heat Has Shortened My Runs

Dear Fit, I always wanted to get into running and my New Year’s resolution was to be able to run 30 minutes straight, four times a week. I’ve kept it up until the Summer sun and heat got the best of me. Now I can barely do 15 minutes and I’m exhausted. I tried pushing myself, thinking it’d just take some getting used to, but now during my runs I get headaches, stomach cramps, sweat uncontrollably, and a few times felt dizzy and nauseous. I don’t want to give up on running outside since I’m training for a half-marathon this Fall. I also don’t have access to a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym. Any tips? -Overheated Heather Being too hot to exercise the way you want to is so frustrating. I have some suggestions though so read more. Summer is generally a hot time of year, but certain times of the day are hotter than others. Try to do your runs early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is out of the sky. Stick to shady places like the woods, or breezy areas such as near the ocean or a lake. Make sure you hydrate before you head out and bring water with you to drink and pour on your body to help cool you off. Wear a heart rate monitor to keep track of your heart rate. When exercising in the heat, your heart rate will rise in order to send more of your blood supply to your skin to cool it down. A heart rate monitor will allow you to keep track of the intensity of your workouts. This means you’ll probably have to run at a slower pace, or even walk, which just means your normal run will take longer. If you don’t want to compromise your pace, then break up your workouts. Do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night. Or you can slowly train your body to acclimate to exercising in the heat. Gradually increase the duration of your runs until you’re able to go for 30 minutes. I must say that the most important thing to consider when running in heat and humidity is to listen to your body and not overdo it. Some of the symptoms you described above sound like they could turn into heat exhaustion , which means your runs will be doing more harm than good. In that case, think about using this time of year to cross train with cooler cardio activities such as swimming , kayaking, and water aerobics.

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You Asked: The Heat Has Shortened My Runs

Beat the Heat: Cooling Foods

As temperatures rise, you can always try noshing on some foods to help you keep your cool. Along with heat and humidity, Summer brings an abundance of fruits and veggies considered cooling foods. While working toward meeting your five daily servings of produce, try these foods to help you beat the heat from the inside out. cucumbers celery broccoli lettuces radishes melons mint tea (try it iced and mixed with lemonade) grilled fish Smoothies and cool soups like gazpacho are also great to beat the heat.

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Beat the Heat: Cooling Foods

How Well Do You Know: Frozen Treats

The lazy, hazy days of Summer have arrived. Whether you beat the heat with ice cream or popsicles , do you know the skinny on frozen treats? Take this quiz and see. Take the quiz

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How Well Do You Know: Frozen Treats

Fit Tip: Don’t Just Work Your Problem Areas

I saw a fitness buddy at the gym the other day running, so I hopped on the treadmill next to her. After about 20 minutes, I asked if she was going to the upper-body strengthening class in 10 minutes. She said, “It’s my legs that need work, not my arms.” While it’s good to be honest with yourself about your problem areas, you shouldn’t just focus on them every time you work out. Remember that your body works as a whole, and working certain areas and not others can cause imbalances in your body, which can lead to injuries. So even if you love the way your booty looks, but aren’t a fan of your upper arms, don’t skip out on the squats and lunges. Exercising your entire body will also help maintain the look and strength of your favorite parts as well.

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Fit Tip: Don’t Just Work Your Problem Areas

Fight Seasonal Allergies With Heat

If seasonal allergies are preventing you from breathing through your nose, you can take decongestants , but they’ll end up drying you up everywhere, even your lady business . Plus they can make you feel kind of spaced out and tired. A natural alternative I’ve found that relieves congestion is to raise your body temperature through exercise. Choose heart-pumping activities such as running, biking, hiking, cardio kickboxing, or exercise in a heated room such as Bikram or Ashtanga yoga . Do it for at least 20 minutes, and once you start sweating, your nasal congestion will start to thin out a little, making it easier to blow your nose and clear your sinuses. Just make sure you have a pack of tissues with you so you can get rid of the mucus instead of sniffing it back in. If the pollen count is really high outside, do your cardio inside to avoid aggravating your symptoms. Source

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Fight Seasonal Allergies With Heat

NYC, You Can Recession-Proof Your Fitness

The folks over at Vital Juice Daily want to help you take care of yourself. They are hosting a free wellness retreat right in the heart of Manhattan. The event will be chock full of goodness with samplings of healthy foods as wells as tastes of a variety of fitness classes. You can check out the schedule of the three-day event here . Admission to the event is free when you sign up for a free subscription to any Vital Juice email . How’s that for an easy way to beat the recession while taking good care of yourself?

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NYC, You Can Recession-Proof Your Fitness