A widespread heat wave is building across the United States, and when the temperature is rising, how you eat, drink and exercise can all have an effect on your health. Although it can be extremely dangerous to overexert yourself during a heat wave, your summer activities and workout plans don’t have to completely melt down.

Hydration Tips

According to the American Red Cross, there are some steps many people can take before and during extreme heat to reduce these risks. It’s also important to know the signs of heat-related illnesses, among which heat stroke is the most serious.

Symptoms of heat stroke include loss of consciousness, confusion, slurred speech, profuse sweating, hot or dry skin or seizures. In these cases, it is essential to seek help by calling 911 and to work to cool the body quickly with cold wet cloths or ice bath.

Exercise Advice

For people who may choose to venture out, things like exercising during cooler parts of the day, prioritizing hydration before thirst strikes, fueling with carbohydrates and replenishing fluids and electrolytes after workouts can help you train more comfortably and safely, said Dr. Kent Bradley, an Arizona-based preventive medicine physician.

Before a workout, focus on easily digested carbohydrates that provide quick energy without sitting heavily in the stomach, and reach for hydrating foods, Bradley said. Carbohydrates, such as fresh fruits like bananas or berries, are essential for supporting exercise because they provide the body with fuel before moderate- and high-intensity workouts.

After exercise, hydrating the body is equally critical, and “don’t wait until you’re thirsty to start drinking,” Dr. Colby Genrich, sports medicine physician at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, said. Drinking enough water remains important for everyone, and for most workouts lasting less than an hour, water is sufficient.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.