Be Curious About Acclimation
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Growing up in Illinois I hated the winter. I loathed the feeling of bitter cold.
After grad school and my first job I met Jonathan and we moved to North Carolina in search of warmth, and we found it. After five years in the hot and humid weather and having visited Seattle for the first time, I realized I’d much rather wear wool socks in the summer than be covered in sweat and always in air conditioning from May to September.
Then we moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2012, the land of perfect and temperate weather. No humidity, no blizzards. A real dream. After starting the business in 2015 I eventually gave in to Jonathan’s suggestion of cold showers, cold dips and this Iceman Challenge - all things we also guide clients through at Spears Strong.
“Accepting the discomfort of cold also allowed me to start acclimating. My fingers that would typically turn white when cold now didn’t and I didn’t even need gloves on cold runs. My eyes were opened to the power of the human body to stretch its ability to endure temperature ranges. ”
Accepting the discomfort of cold also allowed me to start acclimating. My fingers that would typically turn white when cold now didn’t and I didn’t even need gloves on cold runs. My eyes were opened to the power of the human body to stretch its ability to endure temperature ranges.
And if I was going to accept this for cold weather … I realized it’s time to accept it for the heat - and I had grown more sensitive to the heat, and more uncomfortable in it.
Over the past few years I’ve been gradually and safely acclimating to the heat to the point that now I can go for a run in 90 degree heat and be OK
Our theme this month at Spears Strong is Off-the-Grid (see explainer below) and we’re being Curious about Acclimation- because when we’re Curious we get energy and excitement for taking on challenges. The key to being more comfortable in the hot or cold is accepting the discomfort of the hot and cold. Check out my tips below for acclimating and how to exercise when it’s hot as we head into summer.
Do intense exercise early in the morning or indoors when it’s going to be excessively hot. What that means depends on where you live or how you handle the heat. In the Pacific Northwest 85 and over seems to be excessive.
Get out safely and gradually in the hottest part of the day. Start this with very low to no intensity. For example when we started we would take a blanket to the park and listen to an audio book, spending some time in the sun and cooling off in the shade. Slowly build to this, adding a little bit more as you feel good, such as a little walk or light jog depending on your fitness level. Over time you can increase your time spent exercising in the heat but you should always take caution and avoid your highest intensity unless training for something like a race that will be in the heat.
Take cold showers, go swimming. Not only is getting into cold water refreshing in the summer, it also helps us to accept the discomfort of being cold or warm.
Check your attitude. Your mindset and how you react to the heat plays a big role in how you handle it. Safety and taking care of your body is first but that’s hard to do if the thoughts in your mind are focused on how uncomfortable the heat is or how you don’t like it. Accept that it’s hot and check in with your body to see what it needs such as water and a little salt to replace the sweat you’ve lost.
Minimize air conditioning. Leave it off when you’re driving, only turn it on at home if it’s absolutely necessary. Get used to and ok with the feeling of being a little warm and uncomfortable.
Get outside. Embrace the theme of Off-the-Grid. The more you can get out in the warmth the better your cool home will feel or the shade will feel when you get the relief. If we’re in AC from sun up to sun down we’re going to get increasingly sensitive (and annoyed) in the heat.
Safety First
To acclimate to the heat or cold we need to focus on how our body is feeling, staying present for any signs of physical strain that could lead to heat exhaustion.
Hydrate (get your electrolytes from fruits and veggies and add a little sea salt to your water when exercising or losing a lot of sweat)
Cool down at any signs of overheating such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea (shade, ac, cold shower, swimming)
Proper sleep, nutrition and exercise are all necessary to feel ok in the heat.
Breathe through your nose.
Stay calm - if you do get overheated the best thing to do is stay calm. Sit down if standing, (see #4)
Off-the-Grid theme explained:
The only rule is no technology. The benefits of getting outside are numerous and include everything from lower stress to better sleep to improved memory. How do you like to get outside? We want all our Spears Strongers to have the freedom in their bodies to do what they want outside whether it be hiking or paddle boarding, running, swimming, gardening or playing with the dog. Simply stepping out your front door and taking a breath in and out through your nose qualifies as Off-the-Grid, Spears Strong style.
If getting outside is hard for you because you struggle with mobility or you can’t participate in your favorite outdoor activities due to vulnerability of injury, contact us via the form at the footer of this page. We specialize in helping you feel good so you can take advantage of all the outdoors has to offer.
