My Journey With Health And Fitness – Working Out In The Heat

Today in Canada it is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This day honours the children that never returned home and the survivors of residential schools as well as their families and communities. It is a day that we recognize the tragedy and ongoing impact of residential schools. Over the past several years gravesites have been found at many former residential schools and in those graves are thousands of First Nation children that never returned home. As such, a grassroots campaign was launched 10 years ago and people were encouraged to wear orange on September 30th to commit to the enduring truth that EVERY CHILD MATTERS. I was extremely proud when my husband appeared out of our bedroom today wearing an orange shirt because he believes as I do that small steps like this will hopefully lead us fully down the path of truth and reconciliation.

After I did my Zumba class this morning I checked the weather and couldn’t believe that at 7am this morning it was already 29 degrees and with the humidity 36 degrees (for my American friends let’s just say it was hot). I had planned to get in a 4th run for the week (my goal is 3) but decided it was not going to happen. In that kind of heat I know I wouldn’t get the full training in that I wanted and it would be better to do a brisk walk for an hour and plan on the run for tomorrow (I checked and it will be a few degrees cooler). Given the fact that by time my walk was over I was again drenched in sweat I believe that was a good call.

We are at the end of week 3 and I continue to meet my workout goals. That means 5 days a week I spend 2 1/2 hours working out, Saturdays I get in 2 hours of cardio and I slack off to only 1 hour of cardio on Sundays. So, I get soaked with sweat every single day. It is a little easier doing the Zumba classes as I can turn the a/c on but trust me I put in a lot of effort in those classes and sweat profusely. When I am walking/running the best I can do is to make sure I have cold water and drink as much of it as possible. I also always wear a hat when out walking/running to keep some of the seat off my face. I don’t let the heat stop me but there are repercussions.

Within a few days of getting here I started developing heat rashes. The first one appeared under my arm. Next it was in the crook of both elbows. Finally I got it on my upper legs. On top of that, I tend to use a cloth to wipe the sweat off my face when working out and I end up with a painful rash around the inner corners of my eyes. This is the reality of spending several hours soaking wet in this heat. I could use it as an excuse but I refuse to, instead I came prepared.

So what to do? First of all, I keep calamine lotion in the fridge which works great to ease the itching (also used for the massive number of insect bites I get down here). I also brought down some cream that helps dry out the heat rash and prevent it from becoming a fungal rash (read ring worm). Finally, I keep skin cream at the condo that really helps with the rash around my eyes which is caused mainly from wiping them so much. While the rashes aren’t pretty, I make sure to alleviate any discomfort so that I can keep going and I have been successful.

My husband has also developed a heat rash on his chest. While he doesn’t exactly work out, it is simply because it is hot and humid. He noted to me this morning, he has been covered with a sheen of sweat since we got here. I guess that is the price we pay for having a beautiful getaway in Playa del Carmen but remember my mantra when it comes to exercise, no excuses.