Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Ask the Trainer: Am I sweating too much?

You’ve asked and we’ve got the answers to your most pressing summer workout questions. Have a question you want answered by the Life Fitness Academy trainers in future posts? Leave a comment below!
Q: Am I sweating too much or not enough?
A: Did you know there are two to four million sweat glands throughout the body? Sweat is essential to survival and serves as the body’s cooling mechanism. Everyone is unique in how much or how little they sweat based on how active their sweat glands are. There are four factors that can affect the amount: messages from the brain that tell your body it’s overheated, hormones, emotions and physical activity. Instead of worrying about the amount of sweat, pay attention to your hydration level, especially when exercising during the hot summer months. The easiest way to measure how much you sweat and how much water you lose, is to weigh yourself without clothes before an hour of exercise. After that hour, weigh yourself without clothes again. For each pound lost, you lost approximately 16 oz. of fluid. Focus on staying hydrated and replenishing the fluids and electrolytes lost during your workout.
Q: When is it too hot to exercise outside?
A: The heat index tells you what the temperature feels like when combining the air temperature and the relative humidity. For example, if the air temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the relative humidity is 70 percent, then it's going to feel as if it's 106 degrees. Most NCAA athletic trainers will not recommend exercising outside when the heat index is greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Check your local weather station to determine your heat index.

Brought to you by Life Fitness

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