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Walk
Write
By Judy Heller
Judy
Heller, founder of
Wonders of Walking LLC,
advocates walking for well being and pleasure. Wonders of Walking promotes
Walking Events for Walkers by Walkers. Judy Heller is founder and owner
of EroFit & Associates, LLC, celebrating Fitness for a Lifetime.
Heller offers personalized fitness training and coaching for individuals
and groups.
Contact: Judy Heller
at 503-282-1677:
email judy@erofit.com
jheller@wondersofwalking.com
Also
visit: www.erofit.com
www.wondersofwalking.com
I
only went out
for a walk and
concluded to stay out until sundown,
For going out,
I found
Was really going in.
— John Muir
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HOT
WEATHER WALKING
What you should know about training in the heat
The summer
months offer the most abundant daylight hours, sunlight, and heat of
the year, encouraging us to be outside doing what we love: walking.
Walking is one of the most excellent forms of outdoor exercise. This
is the time for enjoying the out of doors, training for relays, downtown
races, and other outdoor activities. This is also the time for taking
extra precautions against the heat, which can get you into trouble if
you are not careful. Walkers and runners, especially enthusiastic novices,
are particularly vulnerable to heat illness by exceeding training levels,
or walking too fast, too far, or too long a period for their level of
fitness. The combination of heat and humidity puts extra stress on the
body during a workout.
During
exercise, muscle activity produces heat, which raises your body temperature.
As the body temperature rises, blood flows to the surface capillaries
of the skin to release the heat. The primary means for the body to cool
during exercise is perspiration (sweat) and evaporation of perspiration.
The amount of evaporation and heat loss depend on the air temperature,
humidity, and wind speed. When humidity is high and the air is still,
evaporation will diminish or cease completely.
Your heart
rate increases as the heart beats harder in an attempt to provide blood
to both the skin surface and the exercising muscles. In addition, as
your body loses water through your sweat glands, your blood volume decreases
and your blood becomes thicker, forcing your heart to beat even harder.
Anyone
who exercises in the heat runs the risk for heat illness. Injuries from
heat occur in three forms: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
Heat cramping
The mildest heat illness, occurs during or after strenuous physical
activity. This disorder is characterized by painful muscle spasm affecting
those muscles worked the hardest. Treatment, usually, consists of drinking
a commercially available electrolyte solution and massaging the affected
muscles.
Heat
exhaustion
Primarily caused by dehydration, is the most common heat illness for
athletes. The symptoms include sweating profusely, chills, light-headedness,
dizziness, headache, and nausea. Other signs are decreased coordination
and staggering, tachycardia (heart rate more than 100 bpm), and fainting.
Treatment should include rest and fluid replacement. Move the individual
to a cool, shaded area to reduce further sweating, administer fluids,
and seek medical advice.
Heat
stroke
Heat stroke is the least common, but most serious heat illness. Heat
stroke is a true medical emergency that may be fatal. It initially appears
similar to heat exhaustion but progresses to manifest more serious symptoms:
increased body temperature, disorientation, loss of consciousness, and
seizures. Treatment is rapid medical attention.
A discussion
of hot weather walking is in-complete without mentioning hyponatremia,
also known as ”over-hydration” or “water intoxication.”
Hyponatremia is defined by the MedTerms.com medical dictionary as an
abnormally low concentration of blood plasma sodium. Excessive drinking
of water, prolonged sweating, persistent diarrhea, or overuse of diuretic
drugs can cause this. According to the American Council of Sports Medicine
“symptomatic hyponatremia of exercise begins to arise as a consequence
of prolonged work, typically longer than four hours.”* It can be
dangerous and anyone exercising in the heat for longer periods of time
should be aware of this condition. The symptoms of hyponatremia are
similar to those of heat illness: fatigue, lightheadedness, weakness,
cramping, nausea, bloating and/or swelling, dizziness, headache, confusion,
fainting, disorientation, seizures, and coma.
To prevent
hyponatremia avoid “over-hydrating,” consume electrolyte drinks
if walking longer than four hours, and be aware of side effects of medications.
USA Track and Field, the governing body of track and field offers this
advice: exercisers should “be sensitive to the onset of thirst
as the signal to drink, rather than staying ahead of thirst.” By
being aware of when you are thirsty, you will help prevent dehydration
as well as decrease the risk of over-hydration. If taking medications
seek advice, as some medications reduce the body’s ability to conserve
salt.
As both
heat illnesses and hyponatremia can be life threatening, it is extremely
important to seek medical attention immediately when symptoms occur.
Guidelines I recommend to my clients for hot weather
walking
Avoid exercising in extreme heat and humidity. It is best to exercise
during the coolest part of the day. This is usually early in the morning.
Although the evening hours feel cooler, the ground continues to radiate
heat.
•
Train for competition in heat by acclimating slowly, increasing intensity
and duration of exercise over seven to ten days. Gradually build up
tolerance for walking in warmer/hotter weather. Only by training in
the heat can one become heat acclimatized.
• Wear sensible, porous, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing
while exercising in the heat.
• Choose fabrics that keep moisture away from the skin.
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat and
sunglasses and make sure to use sunscreen, SPF 15+, on exposed skin
areas. Don’t forget your ears and neck.
• Don’t over-estimate your level of
fitness.
• Drink to stay hydrated. Avoid overdrinking water.
• Maintain a salty diet to make certain you replace all of the
salt lost during training, which can be considerable in some athletes
over time. During a long race (i.e., more than four hours), consider
eating salty snacks such as pretzels.
• Recognize early symptoms of heat stress or hyponatremia: dizziness,
cramps, clammy skin, and extreme weakness. Don’t be too proud
to quit if these should occur.
• Watch your health. Make sure you are aware of both medical
conditions and medications that can affect your tolerance for exercise
in the heat.
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