The Cold outdoors
In extreme cold weather exercising outdoors without proper clothing allows heat to escape from the body and puts too much pressure on the cardiovascular system to work harder to provide blood to the extremities. In the cold, beware of frostbites and hypothermia that occur even in high wind chill conditions.
What to do
- Cover the exposed areas of your body to prevent frostbites.
- Keep the head covered to save the heat from getting dissipated.
- Those prone to asthma should warm up well or avoid exposing themselves to the cold outdoors.
Hot & humid environments
When temperatures are high, profuse sweating leads to loss of body fluids. This reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, resulting in cardiovascular stress as indicated by very high heart rates. Beware of heat strokes and heat exhaustion during these times.
High humidity (over 60 per cent) when added to high air temperatures, impairs the body’s ability to dissipate internal heat. This can also lead to heat strokes and heat exhaustion.
What To Do
- Thus it is sensible to work at medium to low intensities in warmer conditions. Wear light, loose clothing allowing air to circulate over the skin’s surface.
- Replace fluids furiously and fast before they replace you!
Air pollution
Regular exercise should be avoided in areas with high levels of pollution.
What to do
- Try to work out (if you must) either early in the morning or late evening or on weekends to avoid the effects.
- Take the option of working out indoors.
High Altitudes
At moderate to high altitudes, the blood cannot deliver as much oxygen to the exercising muscles. It takes weeks to adapt to major changes in altitude so be careful.
What to do
- Decrease your intensity.
- Increase warm up and cool down periods.
- Acclimatize yourself to the new conditions.
To wrap up, exercising in hot or cold conditions is a matter of individual choice and personal preference. What’s important is to find what suits you best, stick to that and make sure that you exercise regularly.
