NAFR Ottawa Branch: Live, work and play safely in the summer heat with Dr. Glen Kenny of uOttawa

Описание: "Live, work and play safely in the summer heat.

Hot summer days can put your health at risk, causing heat-related illnesses (e.g. heat-induced fatigue, heat fainting, heat exhaustion and other conditions) that can affect you quickly, and can lead to long-term health problems. They are mainly caused by being over-exposed to extreme heat especially if you are doing too much for your age and physical condition. It is important to take steps to protect yourself.

Your body produces heat, especially during physical activity. Hot air, sun rays and hot surfaces also heat your body. This heat is lost by contact with cool air and by the production of sweat, which cools your body as it evaporates. High humidity slows down this process, contributing to increased body temperature. As we age, we must be careful as our bodies experience greater body temperatures during rest and/or physical activity in the heat. This is because our capacity to lose heat decreases progressively as we age (~4% per decade). This age-related decrease is more pronounced in women and in individuals with common health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In addition to improving mental and physical health, engaging in regular physical activity, and maintaining your fitness can improve your body’s ability to lose heat.

While you may love the summer weather, you need to remember your body is not used to extreme heat at the beginning of the summer so you must let your body gradually adapt. Brief daily exposures to heat (e.g., resting in the heat, performing exercise), will help you get acclimated. Over exposure to air-conditioning (home, vehicle, other) could limit improvements in your ability to lose heat so it is important to balance your exposure to the hot outdoor and cool indoor conditions. In this presentation, we will discuss how you live, work and play safely in the summer heat and make the most out of summer." -

Glen P. Kenny; PhD (Med), FCAHS, FACSM
Director, Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.

Ottawa Branch Disclaimer: The Ottawa Branch provides information on issues, products and services of general interest to our membership. It does not endorse a particular position on a product or service, as being suitable for individual members, but brings them to the members' attention so that they can make up their own minds.

This webinar took place on May 19 2021