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La Plata Physical Therapy, Inc.
Summer Activity Staying Safe
La Plata Physical Therapy, Inc.
. http://www.laplatapt.com/

Summer Activity Staying Safe

Summer is here again. That means pools, sunshine, and other outdoor activities. It's important to get moving instead of hiding in the air conditioning all summer, but it is also equally important to monitor what your body is telling you when you are out having fun.

Summer is a great time to get your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews and any other children in your life, off the couch and outside. Video games, even those designed for fitness, are the enemies of health and wellness. Encourage kids to participate in sports as they teach valuable life lessons as well as increase fitness.

Regularly scheduled walks will encourage a healthier lifestyle and are a great way to start getting active. Remember to always wear sunscreen no matter how long you think you may be outside. Be sure to reapply every couple of hours or as needed.

Hydration is imperative when outside and should be stressed to all people young or old. All that sweat from activity must be replaced with water or other healthy hydrating drinks. Be wary of sports drinks with high amounts of sugar or caffeine as this could put too much of both into your diet.

Also note that the popular energy drinks are not the same as sports drinks. Energy drinks contain many stimulants including large amounts of caffeine and can actually bring about heat-related illness much quicker, as well as many other serious side effects.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very real dangers when doing anything in a warm environment for extended periods of time. It is extremely important to know and understand the signs of the two as both can potentially be life threatening. Common signs of heat exhaustion are headache, dizziness, nausea, rapid heart beating, profuse sweating, and fatigue. If you or someone you are with exhibits any of these signs, that person should immediately rest in a cool (preferably air-conditioned) area out of the sun and drink plenty of fluids to gradually cool down.

If a person exhibits symptoms such as vomiting, lack of sweating, rapid shallow breathing, confusion or disorientation, seizures, or loss of consciousness, immediately seek emergency help, as this could be heat stroke. Immediate action must be taken as heat stroke can cause permanent injury or worse.

Hope your summer is safe, fun, and productive.

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