COMBATING THE DESERT HEAT: HEAT ACCLIMATION.

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COMBATING THE DESERT HEAT: HEAT ACCLIMATION.

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After moving to the desert year-round, I learned that heat acclimation would be a necessity if I wanted to keep up with my regular outdoor activities during the summer months. My normal activities include running, horseback riding, golf and hiking. I couldn’t bear an entire summer indoors, so I opted to acclimate and to take on the heat.

Local residents in my new neighborhood seem to stay inside, swim and watch a lot of movies. This isn’t enough for me as I work at home – getting out of the house is key to my mental health. I started to research running in the heat and learned a lot about heat acclimation. I bought a hydration waist pack (Camelbak) and started training for the heat!

The Process
It takes healthy people approximately 10 to 14 days to fully acclimate to hot environments. The time it takes to acclimate is longer than most vacations, so be sure to take it easy if you are traveling in areas that are hotter than your average climate at home. The process of heat-acclimation will help your body adjust to the hotter environment. Before you begin, it is important to understand the signs of heat stress, heat stroke and how your body reacts physiologically to the heat.

You want your body to adjust to the following physiological changes . . .

-Sweat rate increases
-Sweat is more diluted
-Heart rate decreases
-Body temperature increases

More... http://www.desertusa.com/dusablog/comba ... ation.html
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