Page 44 - August 2016 Life In Naples Magazine
P. 44
HEALTH & FITNESS KEEP COOL
AND HYDRATED
by Paula Allia T he summer weather in Southwest Florida In the heat of the summer and when exercising,
PT, DHSc, MTC, OCS has been very hot and humid. August and one must really pay attention to water intake.
September are always hot and usually a One of the ways that we release heat and try and
“As a rule, minor transition in weather occurs in mid- cool our body is sweating. Losing fluids through
it is safe to October. The average temperature in August and our glands and skin allows for evaporation and
say that we September is 93 degrees with a low of 74 versus 88 thus we get a cooling effect. Everybody’s cooling
should drink and a low of 69 in October. As in July, these next and sweating mechanisms do vary as some sweat
three months of hot weather warrant all to take a lot more than others. Actually, if you go into a
half of our caution against overheating. heat stress mode, sweating usually increases but
body weight as you get toward heat stroke, the sweating stops
in ounces per Water is crucial to our body for survival and and your body can go into overheating into a life-
makes up over 70 percent of the body. Not only threatening situation.
”day. is water pertinent to helping to cleanse the body,
it is used in many chemical reactions in the body. Now that you understand how much water
Fitness Together First, if dehydrated, the body will leach the fluids you need, planning to drink throughout the day
335 14th Ave South out of your bloodstream and the normal blood is pertinent to your everyday health. How do you
Naples, FL 34102 counts may be altered. Secondly, water helps reach the right goals? The idea is to take in fluids
239.263.9348 lubricate the body and helps normal liver, kidney, throughout the day in small amounts. Not drinking
bowel, and other bodily functions. Finally, every then drinking a substantial amount is hard on your
FitnessTogether.com/Naples single muscle contraction utilizes something called kidneys. Small amounts of water for hydration is
adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The chemical key along with having the right balance of sodium
reactions that produce this ATP as our energy and potassium along with magnesium and calcium.
source are anaerobic (without oxygen) and aerobic
(with oxygen) metabolism, how we break down our In addition to drinking water, there are
food sources. To split and use this ATP in the body, many foods that have high water content and
water is needed and if not, muscle contractions in they are usually cooling to your body. Some
exercises as we know them could not exist. examples of cooling foods that are water-packed
are watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, pears,
All of us exercise to some extent.Simple exercises cauliflower, broccoli, and peppermint. The idea
to get up and down from a chair and walking with is to chew your foods into liquid in your mouth
a walker use this ATP while runners, cyclists, and before swallowing. This will allow for less need for
other exercises use a lot more to complete. All need digestion system and allow its absorption into the
adequate water in the body to allow for normal
body functions and for the breakdown of this body. Drinking coffee and alcohol actually
ATP for energy. dehydrate the body so substituting with
these drinks does not work.
It is common that when I ask people if they In conclusion, whatever you are
drink enough water, the response is usually, doing these next few months, make
“Yes.” The question arises sure that you get plenty of water
on the amount of water and eat cooling foods so that you
that we should intake. can combat the heat with proper
As a rule, it is safe to cooling mechanisms of the body
say that we should while still being able to maintain
drink half of our body your normal body metabolism and
weight in ounces per perform well in your exercise regime.
day. At that point, If desired, search the web for cooling
most people do the foods that can assist you in getting
calculations and then more fluids for your body.
realize that they do not Be smart! Be healthy! Stay
drink nearly enough. hydrated!
44 Life in Naples | August • September • October 2016
