Nothing beats a perfect summer run. All winter and into spring, I’ve sustained myself with the dream of jogging in shorts on dry, grassy paths free of puddles and black ice. But that dream is becoming more and more elusive. It’s mid-June and I’m already afraid to even venture outside after 7:30 a.m. Summer officially begins on Thursday, but the coming season is once again plagued by record-breaking temperatures, prolonged heat waves, and devastating fires. With climate change pushing the environment to new and more frequent extremes, outdoor exercise in spring and summer is, to use the technical term, becoming more and more challenging.
Summer has always been a time of people teeth More activeOne study found that it could drop by as much as 20 percent. Millions Many Americans are enjoying longer days, school holidays, and the outdoors, surrounded by active wildlife and greenery, to camp, hike, run, fish, and bike. But being outdoors can be a stressful experience. Dangerous Exposureand the impact of the climate crisis Decreased physical activity levels Around the world. Last summer, the United States experienced dangerous air and heat waves. Closed hiking trails and Reclusive Camper indoor; Metersmarathon and triathlonThe event, designed to push hardened athletes to their limits, has been canceled. And with the Paris Summer Olympics looming, Expert teeth Worried About the damage caused by the heatwaves and the strength of current restrictions and emergency response plans Guidelines.
Carol Ewing Gerber, an exercise physiologist at Columbia University, said that given the world’s trajectory, extreme summer weather events that are dangerous enough to prevent outdoor activities “will become more common. People who want to enjoy outdoor activities will be forced to choose between pursuing nature’s offerings and minimizing their exposure to the extreme weather of their new environment.”
The most obvious risk of exercising on hot days is heatstrokeAs your core temperature rises, toxins leak out of your intestines, causing inflammation throughout your body. Your heart struggles to pump blood, and your kidneys slow down as fluid levels drop. What starts as mild heatstroke (headache and dizziness) can quickly turn into more severe symptoms like vomiting, delirium, convulsions, and fainting — signs that can quickly become fatal.
But each person’s heat threshold varies depending on factors such as their overall health, their level of training, how much they exercise, and the precautions they take to avoid overheating, Michael Sawka, an environmental physiologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, told me. According to the National Weather Service: Wet bulb globe temperatureWhen temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, taking into account humidity, wind, cloud cover, and sun angle, even working or exercising in direct sunlight for 15 minutes can take a serious toll on the body. In official sporting events where athletes are working long and hard, such as road races, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) urges organizers to cancel or encourage voluntary withdrawal if the wet bulb temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 82 degrees FahrenheitHumidity prevents sweat from cooling the skin, so hot and humid days can be a concern even when the temperature is not that high. Seem The high rates are especially problematic for people with underlying health conditions. [degrees]”We’re actually a little concerned,” Sonika Patel, a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, told me.
The human body can adapt to tolerate more heat, often in just a few seconds. day to dayWhen a person is repeatedly exposed to high temperatures, the amount of plasma in the blood increases, making it easier for the heart to pump blood to the skin to dissipate heat, and the sensors that trigger sweating are recalibrated to cool more efficiently. In the lab, researchers frequently record athletes who train to exercise so that their core temperatures regularly reach their highest values. On top of that about 105 degrees Fahrenheit. However, these methods aren’t a cure-all. For example, there’s only so much sweat you can produce at one time.
There are also limitations to behavioral strategies for surviving the heat. many guide Advice for people who exercise during heatwaves includes wearing airy clothing, exercising in the shade, staying hydrated, and avoiding the hottest times of the day. But loose, lightweight fabrics are hard to come by, shade isn’t always available, and people need to look for other cues to stay well hydrated. And as average temperatures continue to rise, many of the mornings and evenings that offer refuge from the heat are no longer cool enough for comfort. One day last summer, Phoenix low 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
While some certainly do consider these risks, when it comes to heat, “we often underestimate its impact on the body,” Gerber told me. This is especially true for those who try to cram training into their regular schedules. And despite the ACSM guidelines, Wayne State University exercise physiologist Tamara Hugh-Butler points out that abandoning endurance competitions during heat periods is by no means the default. In general, she says, the idea is to prepare for the heat by “modifying your training” instead. Even recreational sports leagues for kids are I will continue practicing even in dangerous situations..
The dangers of smoky days are in some ways clearer: There’s no doubt that exposure to pollutants carries risks, especially for young children, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory conditions. Particulate matter can Increased risk Gases such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and cognitive impairment ozone Air pollution can worsen asthma; exercise is by definition a metabolically active state that increases the rate at which pollutants enter the airways; and unlike in the heat, there isn’t much encouraging evidence that people can adapt to exercising in a healthy way in bad air, Michael Kahle, an environmental physiologist at the University of British Columbia, told me.
But balancing those risks with the benefits of outdoor activity remains a judgment call. Staying indoors for one particularly smoky day is a solid choice. But the more pollution-filled summer days become, the less clear the long-term tradeoffs of that decision become. Some researchers, like Lindsay Marr, an environmental engineer at Virginia Tech, are more cautious. The EPA’s color-coded Air Quality IndexShe thinks once air quality hits orange, “it’s time to start taking steps.” At the next level, red, “people shouldn’t be exercising outdoors,” she told me.
Meanwhile, Kohle worries about being too strict. It’s no big deal if pollution cuts your workout time short or stops it for a day or two, but poor air quality can last weeks or months. “The worst thing that could happen in the long term is that people stop exercising because they’re worried about the air quality,” Kohle said. People who exercise outdoors could be exposed to some harmful substances in the short term. But he says the true health effects will take a while to become apparent, and in the meantime, people can reap the physical and mental benefits of continuing to exercise. (One good way to strike a balance, he noted, is to focus on shorter, more intense workouts.) Still, even Kohle draws the line at wildfires and other pollution events so extreme that “you can’t see the sky,” he says. Indeed, purple, the next level after red on the U.S. Air Quality Index, is a clear signal to reassess his fitness routine.
In some ways, exercising indoors is the most direct answer to these challenges. But gyms and home equipment are expensive, many Americans don’t have air conditioning, and indoor air quality can pose its own concerns. And limiting activity to indoor venues automatically eliminates recreation that was designed to take place indoors. And, let’s be honest, it’s always going to take place indoors. Better—Outdoors. Indoor baseball stadiums exist but are not common. Just the idea of running an ultramarathon indoors is enough to get people thinking. If the harsh weather forces people to reassess their outdoor plans, some may give up on exercise altogether. That could leave the population as a whole less prepared for even harsher conditions to come. Staying healthy is key to staving off many of the medical conditions that can make heatwaves and pollution more dangerous. “One of the big pieces of advice we give to people who have predisposing factors for cardiovascular disease is to exercise more,” Patel told me. “But what if some people can’t do that?”
The costs of these changes aren’t just physical: Getting outdoors is an opportunity for people to spend time with others, breathe fresh air, soak up Vitamin D, and experience nature in ways they can’t indoors. For children, especially, the outdoors is an essential place to find community. People who spend more time in green spaces also report improved thinking and less stress. Anxiety and depressionFor me, my desire to run outside isn’t just for the calories burned or the steps I get — it’s because I want to experience the world in a way I can’t otherwise. So far, I’ve been lucky in my area of New England, but I fear the day will come when my ideal summer run will be a fantasy that exists only in my head.
