Drinking plenty of water while exercising is important, but what most don't know is how important salt can be during a workout.
Kent Bullis, medical director for the Ball State Health Center, said people should eat lots of salt after a workout because the body loses a lot of salt through sweating.
"If you crave salt after a workout, it's your body telling you to eat more salt," Bullis said.
Exercising in hot summer weather can be helpful as long as people stay as cool as possible and don't exercise for too long.
Bullis said wearing light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and light-colored hats actually keep people cooler when exercising because lighter clothing doesn't absorb as much heat.
Better times to exercise are early in the morning and later in the evening, Bullis said.
The length of time a person works out is also something to consider, and depending on how conditioned a person is, workout time can vary.
"It's hard to set a definite time limit because it depends on the person," Bullis said, "but for the average college recreational athlete, if the temperature is over 95 and the humidity is over 95, you should exercise no more than an hour."
Though it's important to exercise, Bullis said it's also important not to expect too much out of your workout during the hot weather versus a general workout.
One way he said people can safely exercise in the heat and still get the proper workout is to work out until they reach 60 percent of their maximum heart rate. For most college students 60 percent would be a pulse of around 120.
Drinking plenty of fluids is important too, and Bullis said those who work out should try to drink at least a quart of water per hour while they work out.
Susan Clark, an instructor with the Department of Physiology and Health Sciences, said it's important to take breaks during a workout in order to replenish fluids.
Squirting water on the body is another way to cool down when working out because of evaporation, Clark said.
Signs of overexertion range from nausea to dizziness, extreme fatigue, and when people stop sweating.
"You know you're in trouble when you stop sweating," Bullis said.
Other symptoms include reddened skin and an extremely hot feeling.
"When you're hot, the body tells you and you know it," Clark said. "If you get to a point where you stop perspiring, then it could be life-threatening."
Ways Bullis suggested to help if people have those symptoms is to find shade as soon as possible and drink plenty of water.
Overexertion while exercising can lead to serious complications, and Bullis said that is why it's important to exercise with another person rather than alone.
"If one of you is in trouble, they'll be someone else there to help you," he said.
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