Coach Dee and Coach Bones, trying to stay cool on Lake Cowichan during the ’09 CrossFit Camping Trip
Summer is officially here! (And not a moment too soon! It’s August, for pity’s sake…) It’s finally time to put away your jackets and get outside. (Weeeeell, SOME days in Victoria are warm enough for that, anyways!) Summer offers extras hours of daylight, and with it the opportunity to spend even more time enjoying outdoor activities. For many, this means even more time doing physical activities and playing sports in addition to your usual workout schedule. So, it’s important to remember the potential dangers that also come with exercising in hot conditions. As long as you know the dos and dont’s of working out in the heat, then you can fully take advantage of all the fun of summer!
What you should do:
- Drink plenty of fluids, because it’s extremely important to stay hydrated. Important News Flash: If you’re thirsty then you are already dehydrated! Hence, you should drink before you feel a need to. Be sure to drink consistently throughout the day (stick to non-caffeinated beverages, preferably water). Also, drink 15-20 minutes before beginning your workout and religiously during and after the exercise.
- Eat regularly. Although the heat can decrease your appetite, it’s important to eat normally. Be sure to include lots of fruits and vegetables, because aside from being nutritious, they also tend to help with hydration.
- Wear light, breathable clothes. If your activity produces a lot of perspiration (which we all know it does!), consider clothing that is designed to wick the sweat away.
- Wear sunscreen! Even if you exercise early in the morning or late in the evening, if the sun can reach you then you can get burned. Not only is a sunburn bad on the skin and potentially dangerous, but it also hinders your body’s ability to stay cool.
What you shouldn’t do:
- Don’t adapt the “no pain, no gain” motto when you’re out in the sun. When it comes to heat stroke, ignoring your body’s signals could be dangerous. Heat-related illnesses come with warning signs. Be sure to learn how to recognize them and what actions to take.
- Don’t forget to drink plenty of liquid when swimming. Just because your body is surrounded by water does not mean that you are well-hydrated. As with any land exercises, you need to regularly replenish lost fluids when having fun in the pool/lake/ocean.
- Avoid overly strenuous physical activity during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- If you want (or need) to be working out in very hot temperatures (eg. let’s say you’re away somewhere scorching on your vacation), don’t do it until you become acclimated. Try to spend only a few increasing minutes per day in the hot conditions for the first while, and then add time gradually.
- Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Don’t hop from being extremely hot and sweating excessively right into an ice cold, air-conditioned environment. Try to cool your body down slightly before exposing it to the extreme temperature variation.
Whether you have to exercise outside or do it for enjoyment (obviously!), following the above tips will help you stay cool and safe during the dog days of summer. So, don’t spend the season cooped up, get out there and have some fun!
Today’s Workout
Buy-in: Strength Skill work (20 mins)
- 40 perfect ring rows (false grip if you can) – scaled as needed, break up into 8’s or 10’s
- Split Jerk practice – 40 perfect reps total – light to moderate weight, sets of 3-5
WOD: Flibbit
This is a partner workout, so team up with someone who is about the same strength as you. You will be working as a team to accumulate as many tire flip and jumps as possible.
Team Name theme: Amphibians
Each partner gets 5 x 1 min periods to flip and jump the tire
- Flipping the tire completely over + jumping into the hole and out the other side is one rep
- Flip back the other way and jump through for 2 reps
- Partner 1 goes for 1 min then partner 2 goes for 1 min – then 4 more rounds each
- Total reps is your score
- Scale tire as needed
Cash-Out: Foam roll and lacrosse ball
