Beat the heat with this exercise advice

It's turning out to be a hot summer in Newfoundland and Labrador, and while people want to get outside while they can, there are good reasons to exercise safely — and reasons why many in the province want to tap out at 30 C.

David Behm, a professor at Memorial University's school of human kinetics and recreation, said the heat can be dangerous because we're not used to it and don't get the chance to get used to it.

"It's very tough to do that in Newfoundland because, you know, we only have like a week of 28-, 29-degree weather. We're not going to get acclimatized," he told CBC News.

Behm explained people develop heat stress proteins that allow them to operate better in the heat.

"So even just exercising — even if it's not on a hot day — your core temperature goes up. You develop these heat stress proteins and they protect your enzymes."

Enzymes are involved in energy processing but if they break down, the body can't process energy. A fever of 42 C is dangerous because enzymes break down at that temperature, which means the brain isn't working.

But there are people living in 30 C temperatures just fine because they've developed heat stress proteins, he said.

"If you exercise — even if it's not in really hot environments — your core temperature goes up. You get more heat stress proteins. You can handle heat better and then your body learns how to sweat better and thermal regulate better," said Behm.

You can condition your body to deal with hotter temperatures, though he said it can be difficult for people in Newfoundland and Labrador to build up their acclimation when there isn't a lot of heat to deal with.

"But just exercising in a normal environment will help to build up those heat stress proteins."

Pollution, masking up and kids safety

When it comes to air pollution, there are considerations you have to make around being active. Behm said if he were in Beijing he would recommend exercising indoors rather than outdoors.

"We need to exercise for our health. But when we have situations where — again as a Newfoundlander and it's 32 degrees out or the humidex feels like it's 38 degrees — you shouldn't be outside exercising because you're not used to it." 

Behm cautions that doing so could end up causing problems because your enzymes are breaking down. So on those hot days he would advise exercising inside where there's air condition.

"And then when we've got those 25-degree days, those 22-degree days, I want to be outside and taking advantage of the good clean Newfoundland air and the beautiful weather," said Behm.

He said you can exercise once a week and maintain your gains. And if the forecast says the weather will be hot for the next two weeks, you can work out indoors. But exercising once a week can still help you stay fit, he said.

"It's not going to fall off the face of the earth just because you didn't exercise three to five times this week."

Behm also had advice on keeping kids safe in higher temperatures. While as adults we might dedicate a certain time and intensity to running, he said kids don't work that way.

"Kids will run around for 10 or 15 seconds and then they'll stop and then they'll sprint for another 20 seconds and they'll stop. They do a lot of intermittent activity."

Intermittent activity allows their bodies to recover, he said. But they also don't sweat as much as adults do, which can be dangerous in the heat.

If people want to wear masks while they're active, he said, most research concludes that wearing a mask doesn't affect performance.

"It's going to decrease that convection. You're not going to have as much air moving around your face, and you're probably going to feel a little less comfortable. But you can still exercise at the same intensity as you did without the mask."

Also when it's humid outside, he said, you don't have to go as hard as you normally do on your exercise routine. If you typically run, you can opt for a brisk walk.

"If you're an athlete, you may not be really improving but you're not losing. And then as the average individual, you know, you just want to stay healthy. And you're going to be healthy if you just move once or twice a day at low intensity rather than overheating yourself."

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