Summer officially starts tomorrow, June 20, but the heat index has already crept into the 100s in Austin for a few days. If you want to continue to Change Well with physical activity, we all need a few tricks to stay cool when it is hot. Here are a few techniques I use to keep active during the doldrums of August.
1. Sunrise, Sunset. They say the early bird catches the worm. But I say the early walker catches the cool breeze. (ok, make that a warm breeze in Texas). The good news for those working is that the sun rises earlier and sets later in the summer. That means you don’t need to search for a flashlight to take your walk before or after work. I always use the early and late sun to walk before or after work (or both). This way, I catch the morning sunrise or glorious sunset when the temperature is less hot. You rejuvenate yourself before a busy day or decompress after a stressful one. Nothing soothes stress better than birdsong carried on a cool morning breeze or seeing the sun touch down over a shimmering pond. To change up the lyrics a bit from a song from Fiddler on the Roof:
Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Avoid the heat of day,
Cool breezes fade after the morning,
Turning into a stifling haze.
Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Wait until the evening comes,
Take a walk with the moon and birdsong,
That way, you can walk extra-long.
2. Stay Cool In The Pool. Playing in the pool is one way to exercise and avoid heat exhaustion. But what if you are not Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky? I am assuredly not a great swimmer. I did not know how to swim until I was a plebe at West Point and never got out of the rock squad (those who sink like a rock). I still do not know how I passed with a C- since I nearly drowned during the timed swim.
You can engage in activities in the pool other than swimming, even if you’re not in the best shape. The one that helped me when I was first beginning my weight loss journey was water aerobics. Weighing in at 350+, I entered the pool because it was the only thing I could do without my joints protesting. Once I overcame my initial self-consciousness of being the youngest in the class, I found that water aerobics provided a fantastic workout. The best part was that I didn’t need to be overly coordinated. It was my first step in reclaiming my fitness, and it’s still a reliable exercise option when the weather gets hot.
For all the young parents out there, playing with your children in the pool is not just a way to beat the heat but also a fun way to stay in shape. When my oldest daughter was learning to swim (not from me, the Rock, but from classes), we used to have a blast playing a game called Butterfly. I would lift her and toss her in the pool, singing, “Butterfly, butterfly, how high can you fly?”. She would then swim 15 feet back to me and respond upon return, “Over the trees and meadows!”. We sometimes repeated that for about 20 minutes. This is how she learned how to swim, and I got my weightlifting done. The bottom line is to be creative when staying cool in the pool and enjoying precious moments with your children.
3. Drink and Know Things. One of my favorite lines from Game of Thrones is when Tyrian says, “I drink, and I know things.” I even have a T-shirt with that saying. This is good advice for the summer as long as, unlike Tyrian, you drink water instead of wine and know when to stop and stay hydrated. You may be saying that advice is obvious. I might agree. But here is something that is not as obvious. You can drink a lot of water and not remain hydrated. Here is what I mean.
I went on a Kennedy Walk (50 miles in one day) during a hot day. I kept stopping at water stations along the way and became waterlogged. However, around mile marker 35, my muscles cramped up terribly, and I became woozy. Then I realized that I had not been taking enough electrolytes and had sweated out most of the salt in my body. I stumbled to a nearby store and was crestfallen when they ran out of Gatorade. Luckily, they had some jars of pickles. So I ate some pickles and drank pickle juice and got better. The story’s moral is that staying hydrated means also watching your electrolytes. So drink electrolytes with your water, or you’ll be in a pickle. Ok, that was corny even for me!
4. Buddy Up. I usually walk alone to listen to the latest David Baldacci book. But in the summer, I know enough to buddy up when hiking. First, it will keep you motivated. But more importantly, you can watch out for one another.
If I have to exercise in the heat, I try to find a friend to come with me. This advice has saved me on several occasions directly and probably a lot more indirectly. Here is an example. I enlisted my youngest daughter to come with me on a walk one early fall day. Even though the place we were walking in was wooded, we unfortunately got a bit lost. Plus, the temperature, which was supposed to be in the low eighties, jumped into the nineties (never trust a weather report). We finally found our way out, but it would have been scary if I had been alone in the woods in the heat.
5. Switch it up with indoor activities. Lastly, summer is an excellent time to switch up with some indoor activities. My go-to exercise will always be hiking in nature. However, it is time to try something indoors when it is 110 in the shade. Summer, for me, is an excellent time to take on a new Peloton exercise series or to catch up with some low-impact on YouTube with Paul Eugene. Also, if I want to go on a walk, I can always catch up with the latest stores at the mall or what is happening at Costco.
These are five ways to beat the Summer heat and keep your fitness progressing. Other recommendations include wearing sunscreen and head covering outdoors, bringing a wet towel to cool off, or, better yet, taking a cool shower after working out. Lastly, do not forget about your pets when you take them outside. The first rule of “Sunrise, Sunset” is essential for a dog’s paws. So take them out before the sidewalk gets too hot. Remember these rules so you can continue to change well, even in the summer heat!