Summer is coming and it’s time to take your fitness routine to the outdoors. As the weather warms up, so does our intrigue for outdoor activities that are simply not an option for us Canadians during the winter months. If you‘ve been slaving away in the gym during the winter months, then now is the time to enjoy the sunshine with your new found body. Running outdoors, volleyball, golf and soccer are just to name a few activities that are now available after a long winter.
If you exercised during the winter months then continuing the trend in summer will be easy so no advice is needed. However, if winter passed and part of your hibernation strategy was to skip daily exercise, then it’s time we had a chat to get you moving towards improving your health in summer.
Here are 5 easy tips to follow for getting active in summer:
1 – Start Slowly
If you are going to start getting active outdoors, then make sure you start slowly. When starting physical activity after months of inactivity, it is easy to overload the body. Also keep in mind an activity that is taxing indoors will be even more taxing outdoors when a hot sun is beaming down on you like a heat lamp. When getting started outside whether it’s walking, running, soccer or street hockey, remember to properly hydrate yourself on an hourly basis regardless of whether you feel thirsty or not. As a general rule, do not perform strenuous activities more than four days a week until your body has adjusted to that demand level. Remember your body is not prepared to go from 0 days a week of activity to 5 or 6 days a week instantly. You will need to ramp up slowly to make sure you don’t overload the system.
2 – Wear Light Clothing
As you begin to do outdoor activities, dress the part to ensure you don’t over heat. Now is the time for the shorts and t-shirts to come out of the closet along with those outdoor running shoes. Make sure all your clothes can breathe so you can stay cool in the sun. If you are exerting yourself outside and you feel a headache, dizziness or muscle cramps this could be the beginning of heat exhaustion. If you begin to feel overly hot, slow down and get in the shade to cool down. Heat exhaustion is serious business and it’s something you should never take lightly. Moderation is the key, when it comes to playing in the sun. Play for 30 minutes then rest in the shade and go back at it when it feels right.
3 – Wear Sunscreen
It is a common misconception that if you have darker skin you cannot get melanoma/skin cancer however this is not the case. The probability of attracting melanoma with dark skin is lower than that of light skinned people however the possibility is still present. Sunscreen can almost completely eliminate the possibility of melanoma so if you are going outside for an extended period of time, wear it on exposed skin to ensure there is no burning. Approximately 1,000 Canadians die from melanoma per year; that is far too high a number to throw caution to the wind. Be safe.
4 – Wear Eye Protection
In the summer months, many accidents are caused by the simple lack of visibility due to a bright sun. If you are running, cycling or playing any team sports, it is a good idea to wear sunglasses to ensure you know the path is clear before you step or steer yourself into a collision. Also keep in mind that sunglasses improve visibility, while also protecting the eyelids from UV rays that can cause cancer. Nearly 10 per cent of all skin cancer cases are traced back to the eyelids, so protect your eyes and the bonus is you get to look cool while you’re doing it!
5 – Summer Is 90 Days, So Use Them Wisely
Summer is roughly 90 days long and that’s long enough for you to make enormous gains to your physical well being. If you stay focused and determined to get healthy over the summer, you can make it happen. Twelve weeks is enough time for you to lose 25 pounds or more and to come out the other end in much better shape than when summer started. Just remember to start slow and give the body time to adjust to the new climate.
Are you ready to hit the outdoors and take your activity level to new heights now that the sun has returned? If the answer is yes, go forth and make the summer of 2014 your summer to take your activity level to a new high. Enjoy it while it’s here and I’ll see you in the gym back in the fall.