This blog was written by Mechelle Meadows. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
Warmer weather is finally pushing its way into the nation, and many of your corporate fitness members will be itching to take their exercise outdoors. While outdoor workouts are a fun alternative and offer a great way to mix up your programming, even 75 degrees can dramatically intensify a workout.
As you’re rolling out new programs for the summer months―including outdoor boot camps, circuit classes, and training runs―remember to urge your members to take heat precautions.
Here are some tips to design safe outdoor workouts at your corporate wellness center:
- As suggested in this article, try to plan activities or classes around the peak temperatures of the day. From 10am to 2pm, the sun’s rays are the strongest, but the heat can linger throughout the afternoon. Try early-morning or later-evening class options.
- Build more rest/water breaks into your classes than you normally would. With hotter temperatures, the body will perspire more, so remind your participants to always bring a water bottle to these outdoor workouts. When planning the class agenda, build in periodic water breaks for at least a full minute each.
- Keep sunscreen handy. At our corporate fitness center, we keep a few bottles of SPF 30 in our first-aid kit.
- Monitor your participants closely for symptoms of heat exhaustion. Dizziness, confusion, and pale skin can all be signs that a person is overheating. If a member mentions that he or she has stopped sweating and feels a dry, salty layer on the skin, this can be an indication of dehydration.
- Urge your runners to take their pace a little slower than normal. In temperatures over 60 degrees, runners cannot be expected to set record times. Jeff Galloway, author of several marathon-training books, suggests that for every 5 degrees above 60, runners should decrease their mile time by 30 seconds.
Here’s to a safe and happy summer!