you’re in. People who have a normal routine of exercising outdoors at lunch need to change their plan.”
The likelihood of heat illnesses goes up with some medications, including diuretics, blood pressure-lowering medicines, antihistamines and many psychiatric drugs. Certain people need to be especially careful about exercising in the heat, including people who are older or have diabetes, cardiovascular disease or other medical concerns.
People who are obese also need to be cautious, Yeargin said. “They’re generating more heat internally and they’re probably becoming more dehydrated.”
The more often you exercise in the heat, the more the body acclimates, especially if you’re physically fit, Callaway said. Still, he said, the general rule for everyone is to pace yourself.
“You might normally be able to mow your big lawn in 40 minutes, but if it’s 100 outside, it’s way better to mow the lawn in two 20-minute bouts and get out of the sun and cool off,” Callaway said. “If you take a break, you’ll have much less chance of passing out at the end.”
