Experts warn of danger of exercising in extreme heat and humidity
With summer underway across the northern hemisphere - and temperatures in many places reaching new highs - scientists are warning people to be aware of just how dangerous it can be to exercise or play sports in extreme heat.
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00:00With summer underway across the Northern Hemisphere and temperatures in many places reaching new highs,
00:06scientists are warning people to be aware of just how dangerous it can be to exercise or play sports in extreme heat.
00:15When we talk about heat-related illnesses that can occur for athletes especially, it really runs the gamut, right?
00:22So we often talk about heat cramps, we'll talk about heat exhaustion, we'll talk about heat stroke,
00:27but it's actually much wider than that. Heat can really impact every system in our body, our hearts, our lungs.
00:36Our brains try to keep our bodies around 37 degrees Celsius, but humidity and other factors can interfere with the process.
00:45When you're working outside, it's not just the temperature that matters, it's also the humidity.
00:49So you've probably heard meteorologists talk about the feels-like temperature, which incorporates both the heat, but also incorporates the humidity in the air.
01:00When it gets really humid, our bodies have a really hard time cooling down.
01:05The sweat that we produce doesn't evaporate, and so the heat gets retained in our bodies.
01:10So it really puts us at kind of greater risk of experiencing heat-related illness or even death.
01:15Recommendations for exercising safely include drinking lots of fluids, timing your activity for the coolest parts of the day,
01:23exercising in the shade, and taking frequent breaks.
