If the warm weather and loosening Covid restrictions have made you want to rip your mask off and walk, run, bike outdoors, you’re not alone. The pandemic has left a lot of us with bottled up energy and, for some, the feeling of being disconnected from nature and other people…If that sounds like you then you might want to consider green exercise (i.e. - exercise done in nature). I’m not sure we needed a term for this but, oh well. Moving your body through space in the fresh air, sunlight, trees, flowers can provide all the typical physical benefits of gym-based exercise but also serve as a potent form of stress relief.

Improved physical fitness and stress relief all sounds great but you’re if you’re here in Boston (or most places in the US) and just experienced the hottest June on record, you’ll need a plan to avoid dehydration and overheating while exercising outdoors.

Here’s the quick and dirty on what to wear, how to hydrate and how to identify if you overdid it. 

Dress Right: exercise and warm weather both increase your core body temperature. What you wear impacts how your body reflects and dissipates heat. 

• Light colors help reflect heat so avoid dark colored clothing.

• Cotton material is OK but extreme temperatures and humidity require “sweat-wicking” fabrics

• Wear slightly looser clothing as tight clothes or gear like backpacks can trap heat

• Blocks the rays - hats UV blocking sunglasses and water-resistant sunscreen of at least 30SPF are all a plus.

Have a hydration plan - We can lose several pounds of bodyweight per hour of activity, depending on how hard we’re working and the environmental conditions. Being proactive with your hydration strategy can improve your heat tolerance and delay dehydration.

Before 

• If you know you’re going to be training or racing in the heat, pre-hydrate the day before your session by drinking 20-30 fl oz more of water than you usually do.

• Food counts too - fruits like watermelon and pineapple have high water content (check out Heather’s watermelon mint salad recipe here)

• On the day of your session, drink 10-14 fl oz of water when you wake up and a sports drink 45-60 minutes beforehand.

During 

• Sip the equivalent of a bottle (10-14 fl oz) of water every 45-60 minutes during your session

• If you’re exercising for more than an hour, consume a sports drink like Gatorade or powders/tablets like Nuun or LMNT — every 45 minutes to prevent cramping and other negative performance effects

After 

• Continue to sip fluids in the hours after your outdoor exercise, no need to chug (unless you feel like it). A post-workout beer won’t likely dehydrate you but it’s not going to help much either.

• Don’t forget to eat - dehydration can impact hunger signaling.

Mmm, salty - we lose electrolytes like sodium and potassium when we sweat which can contribute to muscle cramping and negatively impact performance (this is especially important if you’re a “salty sweater”).

• Add a pinch of salt to your water and/or add extra salt to your food the day before and day of..

• Pickle juice FTW

• Again, electrolyte drinks are key..Gatorade (no need to stress about the sugar content if you’re active), tabs or powders that contain at least 150mg of sodium per 8oz of fluid.

Did I do it right? - OK, your outfit was on point and you crushed some salty fluids - here are a few ways to evaluate whether or not you hydrated well. 

• Weigh yourself before and after your training session. If you lost more than 2% of your bodyweight, you need to crank up the fluid intake during your session.

• Look in the toilet - if your urine is dark yellow and/or if your poop is drier/harder than usual, you might be dehydrated.

• Check in - How do you feel? Brain fog, headache, fatigue. These can happen for a variety of reasons but dehydration is one.

Danger zone: heatstroke is a core body temperature of more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s nothing to eff with. Seek medical attention if you experience any combination of these symptoms:

• Extreme thirst, extreme fatigue, grogginess, headache, muscle cramps, visual disturbances, sweating slows down or stops all together, fingers become number, splotchy, pale or blue…and in extreme cases lack of sweating and neurological impairments
  
  

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines and may not apply to your specific situation. If you need help tailoring a diet and hydration plan, book a consultation with myself or our sports nutrition registered dietitian, Heather (make sure to check out her watermelon recipe here). We’ll help determine your sweat rate, electrolyte, hydration and fueling needs to keep you cool and performing your best on these hot days. Have fun!