A Brief Checklist For Your Outdoor Workouts

Summer is a great time of year to exercise outside. While we hope you will continue to come and enjoy the cool air conditioning at Cardio High – we hope you will add variety by enjoying some of the great outdoor gyms in Newton; Auburndale Cove, Cold Spring Park or the carriage lane on Commonwealth Avenue. Exercising in the heat leads to a higher heart rate which means you will burn more calories during a hot sweaty workout. There are a few fairly obvious things to keep in mind when you exercise outside as this article points out;

Allergies
Not all of us have to contend with the problems of pollen, but it is definitely one of the reasons why summer can be especially brutal if you’re outside for any reason. So track pollen to make sure you’re not venturing outside the air is filled with the stuff. Also aim for the end of the day so even if there is pollen outside it won’t be as bad.

Rough Sleep
Not everyone has central air so the sweltering nights may be throwing you off your game when you’re not getting enough Z’s. This is just one of those problems where there isn’t a great solution except to make sure that you are valuing your sleep more during these times. If you have time for an afternoon siesta, keep it brief, so you’re not up bleary-eyed all night dreading your morning run.

Bugs
We usually think of mosquitoes and other insects as being most problematic when we’re camping or hiking, but a nice run through the neighborhood can also be a problem. Just make sure you’re wearing bug spray if you don’t want to spend your workout swatting away pests.

Exertion
It’s an obvious thing to remind you of — the heat can be rough on your body. Your heart rate will be higher as increased blood flow from a higher heart rate is one of the ways your body cools itself in warmer temperatures. That means you run a far greater risk of overexerting yourself than you do at any other time of the year. Keep a close check on your water intake, keeping cool if you need it and not going too hard. It’s good to get away from your comfort zone but make sure you’re spending some time enjoying the great outdoors.

Sun
If you’re going to be in the sun, we recommend using a sunscreen with zinc oxide as that provides the best block for all spectrums of UV rays.

 -Shane M.