4 Tips for Your Outdoor Workout
We all know as soon as the weather is no longer below freezing you will start to see people running outside all bundled up. As the spring and summer months approach everyone seems to be out versus being in the gym. It’s important to protect yourself all year round if you plan to be getting your sweat on outdoors!
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Eat Something
No matter if you workout first thing in the morning or after work it should not be on an empty stomach. Food is our fuel and if we do not have anything in our system then we are going to fatigue quickly and not be at our full potential. It can be a simple protein shake, RX bar, banana, or even a healthy nut mix. Something that can be taken easily around wherever you go. If people push themselves too much they can become dizzy and even faint. It does not matter if the weather is 90 degrees out with sun or 53 degrees and overcast. Food is your friend!!
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Sunscreen
According to the American Cancer Society, “Melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for melanoma in the United States for 2018 are: about 91,270 new melanomas will be diagnosed (about 55,150 in men and 36,120 in women) and about 9,320 people are expected to die of melanoma (about 5,990 men and 3,330 women). The rates of melanoma have been rising for the last 30 years.”*
This is crazy!! But think about it. Do you put sunscreen on every day? Not just on your face but on your arms? Probably not. They have so many products available for facial sunscreen as well as body sunscreen that it should be part of you daily routine. Many moisturizers now have SPF 30 or more in their products. Again even in the dead of winter it is still advised to wear sunscreen against the sun’s UV rays.
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Hydration
On a good day people should be drinking half of their body weight in ounces of water. Half!! So now imagine exercising and all that work your body is doing. Your body needs to be replenished. I have seen some runners wear a running belt with small bottles of water on their backs. My husband likes to hold a small bottle that fits into his hand like a glove. When people go on hikes there are signs everywhere that say if you need to turn around once half of your water is gone. Not sure how much water you have had for the day? Easy! Use a reusable container such as a Blender Bottle because on the outside there are marks displaying the ounces. The normal size is 24 ounces. Fill that all the way to the top. Actually finish the whole thing before you fill up so you know for sure how much you have had. If you weight 100 lbs then everyday water intake should be 50 ounces. It is hard to get used to drinking all that water but your body will start to crave it after awhile. You and the bathroom will be best friends in the beginning but you will notice a change in energy, and how you generally overall feel with just drinking water. Don’t forget on a hot day you may not be sweating due to the moisture evaporating off your body, this is the most important time to continue hydrating!
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Wearing an ID Bracelet
In 2016 there were over 6,000 reported accidents of pedestrians getting hit by vehicles. That was a 11% jump from previous years. This is crazy! If you are running or biking out by yourself and if you do not have ID on you, what happens if you are in an accident? Get a rode ID. I thought my husband was being too cautious with wearing his everywhere but when I almost got hit by a car while on a run I changed my tune. If you are going somewhere by yourself it is advised to at least tell someone where you are going in case of an emergency. Let them know the time you think you will done and let them know when your workout is completed. There have been plenty of stories of people going missing and no one knew they were even
What is on the Road ID?
Your name, the town and state you live in, three emergency contacts with their relation to you. Also if you have any allergies. If you wear a running belt or you have bag on your bike you can always put a state Id in there but hopefully if people are helping you they will think to look in the those places. Check out roadid.com to see if one will work for you.
With these quick tips you should be able to have a great and safe workout all year round. If you have any questions and would like to sit down for a FREE consultation with one of our doctors just give us a call at 847-362-4476 today! Mention this blog to get your own **FREE BLENDER BOTTLE to keep track of your daily water intake. Enjoy!
**While Supplies Last
*Cancer.org
