COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Summer is here if you could not tell already by the rising temperatures and heat. A lot of people like to spend this break by the pool, at the park, or anywhere else outdoors.
No matter what you are doing, it’s important to be aware of how your body is feeling at all times.
“There’s a difference between feeling tired and feeling burnt out from being in the sun to where it becomes a problem and you need to seek medical care," said Texas A&M's School of Public Health Dr. Selina Stasi.
Heat exhaustion and heat strokes can be a dangerous consequence of not taking care of yourself while in the heat.
“Heat exhaustion is when you’ve been outside for a little bit too long, where as if you’ve taken it too far, your body starts to go into shock, where you stop sweating you get goosebumps, you start to turn cold, that’s more dangerous, and you need to address that right away," said Dr. Stasi.
If you are working out outdoors in the summer, remember to always stay hydrated. Not just during your activity but also before.
“Staying hydrated the day before is really important, tons of water, Gatorade, juice, sometimes I do coconut water. It’s really about getting fluids in and resting yourself," said Texas A&M track athlete Jon Bishop.
He may be out of season right now but Bishop runs every single morning to avoid the Texas summer heat.
"I want to start at 6:30 am or 7 in the morning because honestly these days once you get to like 8:30/9 o' clock you start to feel it.”
Taking care of yourself and making sure you are eating and drinking the fluids is important to staying healthy.
“Take manageable steps, don’t do any exercise that is so strenuous that you’re gonna kill yourself, you need to get more electrolytes with your water, like Gatorade or Propel. If it’s super hot and you feel really terrible, Pedialyte is a great thing to drink, because preventing it is much better than dealing with a heat problem," said Bishop.
If you do start to feel uncomfortable while outside in the heat, take a break, cool down, and drink a lot of water. If it doesn’t go away, seek medical care.
