A tip to stay cool during this week's heat wave

George Guerin/Fitness Blogger By George Guerin/Fitness Blogger
Follow on Twitter
on July 07, 2010 at 9:04 AM, updated July 07, 2010 at 9:23 AM

Let's piggyback off of last week's article on heat and humidity and go over the number one way to make living in these conditions a little more bearable...lose weight.

Yes, it sounds cruel but if you have less fat on your body, then there is less insulation. Insulation can help keep you warm in the winter but during these hot temperatures, it's doing nothing but making you incredibly uncomfortable. Some data suggest that in the untrained obese, tissue conductance as well as sweating rate are significantly lower than in lean, fit people, with total heat loss capacity limited.

Think about it like this: when you have an extra 10-50 pounds on you, it's a little bit like wearing a jean jacket (10 pounds) or a heavy wool coat (50 pounds) in the 98 degree humid weather. Sounds absolutely horrible, doesn't it?

HEAT_WAVE_072605.jpgOne way to stay cool during the heat wave is to lose unwanted weight.

So take those extraneous "outer layers" off and make working out or even just surviving in the heat more bearable. The best way to drop the weight is to eat non-processed foods, vegetables, fruits, lean meats and drink plenty of water (skip the junk food to save on your taxes).