Summer Safety Exercise Tips for Children
As the number of overweight children increases nationwide, many parents are turning to sports camps to help them stay active this summer.
Playing sports outdoors is a great way for children to exercise and lose weight, but it’s important to be mindful of rising temperatures and humidity, which can induce heat stress, health officials say.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following strategies to help prevent heat stress:
- When high heat and humidity reach critical levels, the intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced.
- At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of seven to 14 days to acclimatize to the heat, particularly if it is very humid.
- Before prolonged physical activity, children should be well-hydrated. They should not feel thirsty. For the first hour of exercise, water alone can be used. Children should have water or a sports drink readily available . They should drink every 20 minutes while exercising in hot weather. Excessively hot and humid environments, more prolonged and strenuous exercise, and copious sweating should be reasons for children to substantially increase their fluid intake. After an hour of exercise, children need to drink a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage to replace electrolytes lost in sweat and provide carbohydrates for energy.
- Dress your child in clothes that are light-colored and lightweight. Shirts that are saturated with sweat should be replaced by dry clothing.
- Practices and games played in the heat should be shortened. Children should have more frequent water breaks. If they feel excessively hot or fatigued, they should seek cooler temperatures.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
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