2009 17 Nov

Why You Need To Take Care In Hot And Cold Weather

Cold weather can hurt even when the body is covered by warm clothing. The tips of the ears are especially susceptible. Ears are thin and not protected. Ear muffs or a ski helmet should be worn.

The backs of the hands are also unprotected. The palms remain warm since the hands are usually flexed, retaining sufficient heat for the palms. To avoid aching, stiff fingers and pain in the back of the hands, gloves should be worn. Ankles can be painful. Often there is an air space between the pants cuff and socks. This allows cold air to swirl about the ankle and lower calf causing extreme discomfort and increased susceptibility to cramps and stiffness. Wearing longer socks is not the answer since they tend to fall during exercise. The best bet is either to make the pants cuff smaller or roll the sock up over the cuff.

Hot Weather Precautions
Warm weather is far more dangerous than cold. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion may result in serious injury and even death.

Effective precautionary measures are simple. Wear light-colored clothes to reflect, not absorb, sunlight. Wear loose clothes to flop out heat by a bellows-like action. Work out during the cooler times of day—early morning or after dusk. Exercising in the shade during hot days offers no protection.

Take in extra amounts of water and salt at least an hour before the workout. Dehydration and harmful salt loss can be avoided. In spite of your fun and enthusiasm, knock off every fifteen minutes during your torrid tennis match for a few minutes of cooling conversation. If you feel light-headed or “different,” stop—you may be close to trouble. If your opponent shows signs of tiring under the noonday sun, insist that the game is over.

After exercising in hot or humid weather, slaking of thirst will be your first thought. Remember, however, that sweat contains copious amounts of salt as well as water. It is dangerous to replace water and neglect salt losses. When you drink be sure to take salt in some form—as a tablet or as salt in your beer. But salt!

“Itchy tail” is common among sportsmen. This begins by the rubbing action of the buttocks against each other during sustained activity. It is then aggravated by a steady stream of sweat coming down from the back and channeled into the crevice which separates the buttocks. The seat of the pants tends to bunch up in this crevice and a sore or itchy “tail” is inevitable.

Several simple hints may help. First, lubricate the anus with vaseline or lanolin before exercising. Second, always wear clean jockey shorts or under shorts when exercising. Wearing the same old pair of jockey shorts leads to cardboard tough cloth due to an accumulation of grime. Finally, if a clean, relaxing shower does not relieve you of “itchy tail,” again apply a light layer of lanolin or vaseline.

Do not wear a wristwatch. Some people wear wristwatches like wedding rings—twenty-four hours a day. The sportsman should not wear his watch during a workout. The experienced sportsman exercises as long as he has enjoyment and until he has attained a satisfying yet not taxing degree of fatigue. He needs no watch. He feels he has had enough. Moreover, he probably will ruin his watch in spite of its shockproof, waterproof guarantee. Accumulation of moisture under the crystal and disturbance of accurate movement result in rusting and poor timing. This occurs in even the most expensive timepieces.

Voluntary control of the rectal trap door—also known as the sentinel of social security—may go awry during exercise. In our normal daily routine, we have trained this trap door to allow exit of gas and excreta discreetly, in private, and preferably in areas specifically designated for this purpose. Since the kidneys stop functioning during exercise, the elimination of urine is no problem. But under the stress of physical activity, the rectal trap door or sphincter lies down on the job. Should a sudden urge to expel gas or to defecate come on, the sphincter forgets its manners. If our agonized sportsman is inside a building and close by a men’s room, catastrophe is averted. However, if he is outdoors, a supply of facial tissues comes in handy. Many fitness devotees have unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way.

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