Tomorrow is the beginning of autumn. On August 6, the National Health Commission held a press conference to introduce the relevance of solar terms to health.
Is weight loss more effective in summer? Zhang Li, a researcher at the Sports Science Research Institute of the General Administration of Sport of China, stated that exercising in summer is beneficial for enhancing metabolism and improving sugar and fat metabolism, yielding better results in reducing sugar and fat compared to winter. He also emphasized that the injury rate during summer exercise is relatively low.
Tomorrow is the beginning of autumn. On August 6, the National Health Commission held a press conference to introduce the relevance of solar terms to health.
Is weight loss more effective in summer? Zhang Li, a researcher at the Sports Science Research Institute of the General Administration of Sport of China, said that exercising in summer is beneficial for enhancing metabolism and improving sugar and fat metabolism, yielding better results in reducing sugar and fat compared to winter. He also emphasized that the injury rate during summer exercise is relatively low.
â–² Zhang Li, researcher at the Sports Science Research Institute of the General Administration of Sport of China
Zhang Li pointed out that in summer, the high temperatures can lead to heatstroke or severe heat shock. However, if exercise is done on the basis of good protective measures, the temperature is favorable for the body and exercise.
Zhang Li explained that the core body temperature of a person is around 36-37℃, but the temperature of the limbs is not constant and varies with the surrounding temperature. When the limbs feel ice-cold in winter, they are not at 36℃ or 37℃. In this state, the muscles become loose and weak, and the fascia becomes stiff and tense. Therefore, in this state of weak muscles and stiff joints, a person may not feel like exercising. If one wants to exercise, proper warm-up is necessary. Inadequate warm-up can lead to injuries, as the fascia is stiff and muscles are weak.
Zhang Li mentioned that in summer, the temperature difference in muscle temperature between the limbs in summer and winter can reach 7-8℃ or even 10℃. Research has shown that the muscle temperature can reach 40℃ after exercising. In high temperatures, the muscles are firm and strong, and the ligaments are soft and elastic, which makes people more eager to exercise.
Additionally, Zhang Li stated that for every 1℃ increase in body temperature, the activity of metabolic enzymes and nerves in the body increases by 10%-20%. Since most of the body’s fats and sugars are metabolized by muscles, when muscles are highly active, the metabolism of fats and sugars accelerates. Therefore, in summer, exercising is more effective for weight loss and blood glucose control.
Furthermore, Zhang Li explained that even with a slight warm-up or no warm-up in summer, the muscles are strong and the ligaments are flexible, making it less likely to get injured during exercise.
Zhang Li expressed that summer is indeed a good season for most people to exercise and keep fit. He encourages everyone to take this opportunity to exercise more, exercise scientifically, and practice a healthy lifestyle.
Although autumn is approaching, the weather remains hot. Zhang Li also reminded that the most important thing is to prevent severe issues like heatstroke and heat shock caused by dehydration. Not only in sports and fitness activities, prolonged outdoor walking in hot weather can lead to increased body temperature. He advised to avoid excessive body temperature increase and especially discourage prolonged exposure to the sun for children without allowing them to drink water. High body temperature can have negative effects on the nerves, and after dehydration, the heart will have additional burdens.
Zhang Li suggested three things to pay attention to while exercising in hot weather: Firstly, avoid prolonged exercise or walking in direct sunlight. Secondly, ensure proper hydration. Thirdly, in case of heatstroke or shock, or when early signs appear, aside from hydration, physical cooling measures should be taken.
Reported by Hu Yiwen, Red Star News, Beijing
Edited by Guo Zhuang, responsibility edited by Li Binbin
