Ten key points to remember when exercising in autumn

The weather is clear and cool in autumn, which is a good time for exercise. However, experts also point out that the climate conditions in autumn are different from those in summer. Everyone should adjust their fitness habits in time, master the correct exercise methods, and avoid hurting their bodies instead of maintaining health. Today we introduce some tips on autumn sports and health preservation. These 10 points must be remembered!

1. Focus on aerobic exercise

The weather gradually turns cold in autumn, and explosive anaerobic exercise can easily cause physical discomfort or even sports injuries. Therefore, when exercising, you must choose aerobic exercises with smaller movements and higher calorie consumption. The specific items may vary according to age differences: young people can arrange high-impact aerobic exercises such as running, which can consume more calories; middle-aged people can arrange low-impact aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, and climbing stairs; the elderly can arrange walking, yoga, Tai Chi and other items.

2. Not exercising when you’re feeling down

After autumn, the erratic temperature changes can easily have a certain impact on people's psychology and physiology. Some people often feel inexplicably depressed, sad, tired, irritable, and energy declining. Experts remind that exercising when you are depressed or listless can at best increase the burden on your organs and at worst damage your body's functions, so it is best to exercise when you are in high spirits.

3. Morning jogging is not suitable for the roadside

Jogging on the tree-lined avenue in autumn and breathing the fresh air is good for human health. But now in cities, there are more and more busy roads. In order to save trouble, many people jog along the side of the road to exercise. In fact, this is very unhealthy. Because the climate is dry in autumn, dust easily flies up and pollutes the air. Running along the road increases lung capacity and causes inhalation of more dust and harmful gases emitted by cars. It invisibly increases the damage to the body. Therefore, it is best to choose a quiet and clean place such as a park for morning jogging and exercise, rather than jogging on the side of the road.

4. Dress in layers when exercising

Many people believe that once people start exercising, they will not feel cold and can just wear a thin T-shirt when exercising. In fact, the human body only generates more heat in the middle part during outdoor exercise, and is very easily affected by the external temperature before and after exercise. When doing outdoor sports, wait until your body is warm before taking off your jacket, and put it back on immediately after exercise. If you stay in the autumn wind wearing sweat-soaked clothes, it is very easy to catch a cold. When it comes to the choice of materials for sportswear, many people think that pure cotton clothes are comfortable and sweat-absorbent, but in fact, it would be more appropriate to choose polypropylene material with relatively good breathability.

5. Choose the right time for autumn sports

First of all, there are big differences in time arrangements. People of all ages should choose the time period for activities based on their physical condition. Young people have a strong ability to adapt to the weather, are in good physical condition and recover quickly, so they can arrange their fitness time in the morning and afternoon in autumn; middle-aged people have a slightly weaker ability to adapt, so they can exercise after work, between 18:00 and 20:00 when their body and mind are relatively relaxed; the elderly should generally choose the time between 14:00 and 19:00 as they are in poor health, so they can choose the time when the temperature is highest and there is sunshine to exercise, as it is easier for them to move around and avoid physical harm.

6. Equip yourself with appropriate sports equipment

Appropriate sports equipment not only saves us effort and makes us comfortable, but also avoids many accidents. The choice of sports equipment must vary according to the person, the place, and the purpose, and you must assess the conditions and weather changes at the destination. Especially for long-distance and difficult sports, you must be fully prepared and strive to be prepared for any eventuality.

7. Consider the time period for hydration during exercise

Hydration during exercise should be considered from three time periods, namely, hydration before exercise, hydration during exercise, and hydration after exercise. Drink 500 ml of water 2 hours before exercise. This will allow the cells in your body to reach the best hydration state to prepare for exercise, and there will be enough time to excrete excess water from the body through urine, so you can go into battle lightly. When you sweat a lot during exercise, you should take a systematic approach to hydration. That is, replenish water every 10 to 30 minutes, replenishing 200 ml to 250 ml of water each time. Rehydrate after exercise and record your weight before and after exercise to find out how much sweat you lost during exercise. However, it should be emphasized that the amount of water replenished after exercise is not the same as the amount lost, but the amount of water replenished should be greater than the amount lost, so that the body can restore water balance.

8. Be prepared to prevent strains

Warm-up exercises are necessary for any kind of sport, because human muscles and ligaments will reflexively cause vasoconstriction and increased viscosity in the lower temperatures in autumn, reduced range of motion of joints, reduced stretchability of ligaments, and the nervous system's ability to command muscles will also decrease without warm-up exercises. If you do not do sufficient warm-up exercises before exercise, it will cause joint ligament strain, muscle strain, etc., which will seriously affect your daily life, and exercise will become a kind of injury.

9. Control the amount of exercise

In autumn, the excitability of people's nervous system increases, and physiological functions tend to be active and strengthened. In this season, people tend to over-exercise, which results in excessive fatigue, affects work and health, and is also prone to sports injuries. Especially middle-aged and elderly people should control the exercise time and intensity and not exceed the body's load. Generally speaking, middle-aged and elderly people should not exercise for more than 1.5 hours at a time. When exercising, you feel your body getting a little warm and sweating slightly, and after exercising, you feel relaxed and comfortable. This is the standard of moderation.

10. Prevent autumn dryness after exercise

After exercise, you should drink more boiled water and eat more soft foods such as sugar cane, pears, apples, milk, sesame seeds, fresh vegetables, etc. to maintain normal secretion of the upper respiratory tract mucosa and prevent sore throat. If you sweat too much during exercise, you can add a small amount of salt to boiled water to maintain the electrolyte balance in the body and prevent muscle cramps. When replenishing, the principle is to drink small amounts, multiple times and slowly. In addition, if you do long-distance running, you should also drink an appropriate amount of sugar water to prevent hypoglycemia, which may cause adverse physiological reactions such as dizziness, sweating, and weakness in the limbs.

Finally, a reminder that exercise conditioning must be performed in the best mental and physiological state in order to achieve the results of physical exercise and spiritual pleasure. As the saying goes, "Summer makes you sleepy and autumn makes you tired." As autumn approaches, the weather becomes pleasant and the daylight hours become shorter. Taking advantage of this opportunity to get enough sleep as much as possible can not only restore physical strength and ensure health, but is also an important means to improve the body's immunity.