It's getting hot out there ...

This morning I decided that I needed beauty sleep more than I needed a run.
Ha! I bet you thought that I blew off my training run.
Miss 10 had swimming training this afternoon and I knew that I would be able to run laps of the school oval while Mr 6 kicked the football instead of sitting on my butt.

It was warm out there this afternoon  but I will admit that I'm much more fond of the heat than the cold so I'm not complaining.  It's only going to get warmer as summer rolls around and things really start to heat up and  I will now admit that sometimes the heat does get a little oppressive and it definitely does dampen the motivation to work up a serious sweat ( even if you are exercising in the comfort of an air conditioned gym! ).

Even if you are hard core and refuse to miss your training session because it's a bit warm why should you be careful training in the heat?  It is possible that you can suffer from heat related problems such as dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.  And don't you be telling me that it will never happen to you because you really just never know, it's not a pleasant feeling to come home from a run and feel dizzy, nauseous, have cramps and headaches and not really know why.  Yes, that would be me speaking from experience after completing a triathlon in the middle of summer.

So, how do you keep cool during exercise, especially when it's hot.

* Stay hydrated, stay hydrated, stay hydrated .. sorry did I repeat myself ...
* Wear light coloured, loose clothing .. I'm not talking kaftans here
* Don't exercise in the middle of the day .. duh! First thing in the morning is usually the best as everything gets the chance to cool down overnight.  Sometimes the evenings are nearly as bad as the heat of the day.
* Cool your head and neck .. stop at a bubbler and splash cool water on your face, head and neck.

Here's you guide to staying hydrated while exercising

* Be hydrated before you start exercise.  Drink up to half a litre about half an hour before exercise.
* If you can, have smaller amounts of fluid during exercise.  My general rule, don't go longer than 30 minutes without having something to drink.  Plan your walk / run so that you go past a bubbler if you will be out longer than 30 minutes.
* Drink enough to replace lost fluids.  Another general rule, rehydrate until your urine runs clear.  Well, this should be an everyday rule anyway ...

I'll finish off by saying LISTEN TO YOUR BODY .. if you don't feel right ( and I don't mean motivation! ) get yourself home, cooled down, rehydrated and avoid exercise for the rest of the day.

On another note, I would love to have you visit me on Facebook where I share a bit more about myself with some motivation thrown in!  Come on over and "like" Fit Mum. 
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While I'm at it .. off you go and have a glass of water now .. go on!

Stay healthy and active!