Health Hazards to Watch Out For When You Run in the Hot Sun

Running generates heat as it torches away the calories. Still that is no excuse to stop running in summer. Just run early in the morning or late in the evening to escape the blazing sun.

In the sweltering heat, remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. If you are going to run for an hour or longer, bring along a bottle of water and drink as you run to rehydrate yourself. Drink a glass of water before and after your run.

As you run, your body sweats to cool you down. In warm weather, you lose even more water through sweat than on cooler days. The thing to watch out for is dehydration. If you lose too much water and don't drink enough to stay hydrated, you can experience headaches, dizzyness, disorientation and vomiting. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop running and seek medical help at once!

When you run during the day, protect your skin from the sun. Slather on a sunscreen with SPF15 or higher 30 minutes before you go for your run. The sun's rays damage your skin. Sure, that tan looks good, but the damage your skin sustains will surface later in life, if you don't get sunburnt first. Sun damage can show up as premature wrinkles, age spots or even skin cancer. The free radicals you get from exposure to the sun's rays damage your skin at cellular level. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, hence, on top of sunscreen, it might be a good idea to include plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and veggies in your diet when you run. The strongly colored fruits and vegetables are the riches in antioxidants.

Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes as excessive sun exposure can increase your risk of cataracts later on in life.

Protect your head from the blazing sun's rays with a baseball cap. The last thing you want is a massive headache from an overheated, unprotected head when you run.

What are you wearing for your run, besides a good pair of running shoes?
You could run in any old t-shirt and shorts, but your run would be more enjoyable if you dress appropriately for it.

When the weather gets hot, cotton is the favourite natural fabric to wear as it is breathable. While cotton may be the perfect summer fabric, but not when you run or jog or work out. Wear cotton and you will stay drenched in sweat with your clothes stuck to your skin. The cotton won't wick away the sweat as well, nor would it dry as quickly as synthetics that were developed for active wear. The best fabrics for running clothes or sportswear are supplex, dri-fit, coolmax and ultrasensor. You will feel cooler in clothes made of these new-fangled fabrics as sweat evaporates more quickly, taking the heat with it.

One of the great things about running in summer, late spring or early fall is the sheer convenience of the sport. All you need is your running shoes, a t-shirt and a pair of running shorts and your sports bra. When it gets colder, you can switch to sweat pants and sweat shirts or even layer your clothes when it gets really chilly.

No matter what you wear, just watch the fabric. It must be breathable. In other words, it must wick the sweat away.