Eulalee Thompson

The summer heat camecrashing in, long before the official start of the season. The big question now is how to keep cool and healthy in one of the hottest summers we've seen in a few years. I've gleaned a few facts from various health sources.

Keep the exercise programme going, but stay cool:

If you prefer exercising outdoors, (joggers and power walkers, for examples) you will notice that your body is heating up not only as a result of the environmental temperature but also from the exercise itself.

Exercise physiologists point out that more stress is placed on your heart and lungs when you exercise in hot external temperatures.

Your body's normal cooling down mechanism (involving circulating blood, the skin, perspiration blood) chips in but if it's really humid, like now, and perspiration doesn't evaporate, your body temperature will shoot up.

You don't need a heat stroke; stay cool while exercising by:

Drinking enough fluids: help your body cool down and stay cool by rehydrating, even if you don't feel particularly thirsty. The experts say that you may need sports drinks to replace some of the minerals (chloride, potassium and sodium) lost in sweating if you are exercising for more than an hour in this heat.

Checking your exercise outfit: What are you wearing while exercising? It might look fashionable but just maybe it's not appropriate for this heat. The experts recommend lightweight and light-coloured clothing that will help your body stay cool.

Avoiding the sun at midday: especially for joggers and cyclists, it's already hot, so why would you want to exercise during the midday heat? Rearrange your schedule for early mornings or in the evening when it is cooler.

Changing your programme: if your body really can't stand the outdoor exercising this summer, you may have to do some indoor exercising for a while, just until the weather is more favourable or just slow down for a while until your body adapts to the heat.