08/04/2026
I recently mentioned how hot our summer is in Florida and how to stay fit by shifting our workouts to the gym, or going outside earlier or later in the day, or going swimming.
🖐️ Fact is: summers are getting hotter each year. 🥵
Since the 1960’s incidents of extreme heat across the United States have tripled. 😳
As the Earth’s average temperature inches higher each year, everything gets hotter; the land, the sea, and the air.
While many consider the summer heat wave just an uncomfortable nuisance, it is a major threat to health and life.
Heat-related deaths in the United States jumped 117%! 🫨
The hotter WE get, the harder our cardiovascular system has to work to cool us down. Our heart rate increases, and our blood vessels open wider.
As we age, metabolic and hormonal changes make the body’s cooling system less effective. Older people feel less thirst when dehydrated. They don’t sweat as much.
Medicines like blood pressure pills, diuretics, and some antidepressants can blunt the body’s cooling responses. Further, conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and kidney disease can also impair the ability to cope with high temperatures.
When an older person overheats, their blood pressure drops and their core temperature rises, which can cause heat exhaustion (dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, weak pulse) or worse, heatstroke (throbbing headache, no sweating, body temp over 103, vomiting, rapid pulse, loss of consciousness) which can cause irreversible organ damage or death.
Here are important health strategies to keep you cool:
✅ Stay out of full direct sunlight at peak hours / limit outdoor activity
✅ Be in air-conditioning as much as possible
✅ Drink plenty of water and eat hydrating foods, instead of heavy meals
✅ Wear a hat and light, loose clothing to let your skin breathe and sweat evaporate
✅ Take cool shower/ bath to lower core body temperature
✅ Avoid alcohol, heavy caffeine, and sugary drinks-all of which can lead to faster fluid loss.
It is imperative to listen to your body and take early safety measures to prevent overheating. Protect yourself and your loved ones!
XOXO Andrea 💜
www.hammerhealthandfitness.com
📞 (954) 270-1870
