Is it fall yet? It has been a long, hot summer in much of the U.S.
Outdoor exercise is one of the benefits of summer, but this year’s extended, extreme heat prompted the CDC to issue an official advisory, warning the public to exercise caution when exercising outdoors, in order to avoid heat-related illness.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons user Wikigab
In the press release, Dr. Robin Ikeda, CDC’s deputy director for non-communicable diseases, injury, and environmental health, said that “Coaches, parents, teachers, and athletes should educate themselves on how to recognize and prevent heat-related illnesses.”
Doctors who are doing preseason sports physicals before those August practices begin have a great opportunity to educate young patients (and their parents) and remind them how to help the kids take the heat while they get in shape for the fall sports season.
The CDC makes it easy. Refer kids and parents to the CDC Extreme Heat Media Toolkit for reminders about how to manage working out in the hot weather and how to identify signs of trouble.
–Heidi Splete (on Twitter @hsplete)
<a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/4979926/">If you do fall sports physicals, do you talk to kids and parents about heat-related illness?</a>