SUMMER RUNNING RULES
Hot weather increases your core temp, which makes your body work harder to pump blood to the skin’s surface for cooling, explains David Siik, LA-based senior manager of running for Equinox and creator of Precision Run. In turn, your heart rate increases and less blood reaches your muscles, making a run of any distance feel more challenging than it would on a cooler day. You can log safer miles by following a few simple rules:
1. Plan outdoor summer runs for before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
2. If you have to train outside midday, opt for moderate-pace miles or intervals with rest periods that allow you to fully recover between bouts of work. If the heat index exceeds 96 degrees, take your workout indoors.
3. Don’t work out for longer than 45 minutes (even less if the feels-like temperature reaches 90 degrees F.)
4.Carry elecrolyte-spked water and slow to a walk or find shade if you start to feel sluggish or your skin turns cool and clammy.
HEAT UP FROM THE INSIDE.
Traditional saunas use heat to warm the air, thereby heating your body from the outside in. Far-infrared saunas (FIRS), as they're technically called, use infrared light (that’s the one between visible light and radio waves on the electromagnetic spectrum) to create heat in your body from the inside out.
The idea is that with blood moving and sweat excreting, your body is releasing toxins at a high rate, says Svetlana Kogan, M.D., a holistic internist based in New York City. So, consider hitting the infrared sauna for 30 to 40 minutes three times a week to reap potential benefits like glowing skin (the opening of the blood vessels can make the skin look more rosy, rather than pale or bluish which can look less healthy) and reduced post-workout muscle soreness (thanks to increased blood circulation).
QUICK-HIT MEAL: SWEET-SPICY CHICKEN THIGHS
People who ate spicy foods 6 or 7 days a week had a 14% reduced risk in total mortality, according to a study published in The BMJ. For a simple summer meal, make these chicken thighs, which feature a marinade of serrano chiles, honey, soy sauce, and lime juice, and serve with salad and grains. If you prefer not to use the oven, cook them on a grill or grill pan.