Acclimating to West Palm Beach Hot Weather

As we move into the hotter months of the year, All My Sons of West Palm Beach realizes that many families who move here from Northern states may not be prepared for the searing heat experienced in South Florida. Fortunately, the human body is capable of adapting to the stress of heat with repeated and controlled exposure, which results in less strain and increased comfort. So if you have just moved to West Palm Beach from a cooler climate region, here are some pointers about acclimating to West Palm Beach hot weather.

What is acclimatization?

Heat acclimatization is the process of increasing your body’s core temperature so sweating occurs earlier on and in higher volumes, thus cooling the body more efficiently. People who have just moved to West Palm, have jobs outdoors, or who frequently exercise outdoors can all benefit from learning how to acclimate to hot weather to reduce the risk of heatstroke and heat related deaths.

What happens with acclimatization?

- Your body sweats more efficiently earlier on and in greater quantities, thus reducing your overall body temperature.

- Cardiovascular systems improves. You may also have improved organ protection, skin blood flow, and sweating

- Performance increases. You will have greater comfort during work, play, or exercise

How to get your body acclimatized.

- Everyone’s body is different, but it generally takes about two weeks of continual exposure to the heat to acclimatize.

- Average about one to two hours of daily, moderate exposure to hotter conditions to get the results you want within two weeks.

- Depending on your natural heat tolerance, you may need to tweak the exposure to heat slightly or significantly within the first few days. As adaptations occur, the length and volume can increase.

- Certain adaptations occur quicker than others. Changes in how much you sweat can take weeks; however, this change for people who have experience in the heat can take less time than unexperienced individuals.

- Increase your fluid intake so that there is sufficient fluid in the body to make more water available to the heart to pump.

- Wear light colored clothing and keep the layering to a minimum. Clothing insulates the body, disrupts the heat transfer and absorbs sweat. If you must wear clothing, wear loose-fitting, breathable, cotton clothing.

- The West Palm Beach family movers want to inform you to consume enough sodium in order to replace what is lost by sweating. A low sodium diet may impair the body’s ability to maintain its sodium levels.

- More sodium will be retained by the body and less excreted in your sweat if you have more fluids in the body. This will allow for the body to maintain its proper sodium concentrations.

How long will your body be acclimatized to heat?

- Unfortunately the effects of heat acclimatization are reversed twice the rate as they are acquired once the exposure to heat has ended

- Generally, most adaptations aren't as substantial as heat training itself, but it is better than nothing.

Generally, most adaptations aren’t as substantial as heat training itself, but it is better than nothing.