For some exercisers, any excuse is a good excuse to miss a workout. For others, there is nothing that will ever stop them from getting their daily sweat fix. From a safety standpoint, the summer time exercise session can be just as intense and just as long as long as a few guidelines are followed. It is important to remember that perspiration is going to be much more intense because of the heat when you are likely to be already sweating before you get started with your workout.

Loose, cooling clothing, preferably the kind that will wick moisture away from your body is an absolute must. It is also important to know your heat tolerance levels. Scheduling your workout for early morning and early evening hours is also a good suggestion. But, the heat itself is not the major problem so much as the sweating that it can cause. Excessive sweating can quickly lead to dehydration which in turn can cause major problems with the brain including a decline in short term memory. Dehydration can also cause a problem with estimating fatigue which may lead the exerciser to not realize just how hard they are working.

Dehydration coupled with a high core temperature but the elevated heart rate from exercise can cause serious heat related injuries including heat cramps or the more serious heat exhaustion. The most serious heat related injury, which can quickly turn deadly, is heat stroke. The warning signs of heat related illness are muscle cramps, nausea and dizziness. Once it has progressed into potential heat stroke, the person may have stopped sweating and may actually feel clammy or cool to the touch- meaning they may be going into shock and need immediate medical intervention.

Staying hydrated before, during and after exercise is of the utmost importance.Most experts recommend consuming between five and ten ounces of fluids during a workout, preferably every fifteen minutes of the entire duration and more often if there is a real sense of thirst. After an intense workout, one that lasts more than an hour, for instance, immediate rehydration is not only needed, but the need to replace lost electrolytes is also important.

People who usually workout indoors, whether at home or in the gym should ease into outdoor, summertime workouts gradually keeping in mind that it may take as long as two weeks to become acclimated to the change of temperature conditions that you are used to