🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Three Points to Note
In scorching heat, with blazing sun, temperatures already touch the “orange” level. What should fitness enthusiasts pay attention to during these sweltering days?
· When exercising under direct sunlight, wear a hat and choose light-colored, loose, and breathable sportswear.
· During hot weather, rest for 5–10 minutes in the shade after every hour of exercise. Endurance training is best scheduled before 10 a.m. or in the evening, when it's relatively cooler. Those with poor heat tolerance, fatigue, or illness should avoid exercise to prevent heatstroke. Warm-up intensity should not be too high; a gap of 1–4 minutes between warm-up and formal activity is ideal. Because if the body is already fatigued before starting, it cannot enter optimal condition during exercise, increasing the risk of muscle strain. Gradually increase exercise intensity and duration. Sprinkling water on the skin is also helpful for heat dissipation. High temperatures easily cause mental agitation and poor concentration, increasing injury risk during exercise. Thus, stay calm and adjust your mindset before starting. People exercising in hot weather should extend their midday nap to ensure adequate rest and energy recovery.
· Whether indoors or outdoors, summer exercise easily leads to dehydration, salt loss, and significant energy depletion. Therefore, athletes should prepare cool, refreshing, or low-sugar, salt-containing beverages. Cold sports drinks are an excellent choice—they quickly lower body temperature. Moreover, sports drinks typically contain more sugar than ordinary drinks. During exercise, the body consumes large amounts of carbohydrates, and sports drinks can replenish these specifically. Additionally, daily diet should include sufficient sugars, proteins, and vitamins, and pay attention to water and electrolyte intake.
Four Things to Avoid
People have different ways to cope with extreme heat after exercise, but some methods are overly aggressive and may harm health despite temporary comfort.
· Clothing should not be too revealing
Exposing bare skin or back only cools the body through radiation and conduction when skin temperature exceeds ambient temperature. However, during hot days, peak temperatures often approach or exceed 37°C, causing the skin to absorb heat rather than dissipate it, making bare skin feel hotter. Furthermore, exposing the back to sunlight directly exposes the skin to intense UV rays, potentially causing skin diseases.
· Cooling down after exercise should not be too rapid
After heavy sweating, many people rush to stand in front of fans, remove clothes and blow hard, or sit directly under cold air conditioning, or even rinse their bodies with cold water for “quick cooling”—a sensation they find refreshing. However, this “rapid cooling” may bring short-term pleasure but long-term discomfort. After exercise, pores are open; sudden cold exposure causes them to close rapidly, which is extremely detrimental to the body, increasing susceptibility to cold pathogens and possibly triggering various illnesses.
· Do not drink water too quickly during exercise
Drinking water too fast may trigger gastric muscle cramps or abdominal pain. It is better to wait a few minutes after intense exercise before replenishing fluids.
· Do not drink pure water immediately after exercise
Pure water lacks the salts and minerals lost through sweat. During intense exercise in high temperatures, the body sweats profusely, losing both water and salts. Drinking large amounts of water without replacing salts reduces blood sodium levels, increasing muscle excitability and causing cramps and pain. Therefore, before training, ensure adequate intake of water and salt; during exercise, alternate activity across different muscle groups to avoid overloading any single limb.