DOH: Go slow on exercise, swimming amid heat

MANILA, Philippines — Too much swimming to fight off the summer heat can also be bad for one’s health, according to the Department of Health.

DOH Health Environment Division chief Dr. Rosalind Vianzon stressed that swimming has a good “cooling effect,” but overdoing it can be dangerous to one’s health.

“Swimming is actually a healthy way to cool, but don’t stay too long under the sun. If ever there’s a chance, use the covered pool,” Vianzon said during a virtual press briefing.

“Because swimming is quite a strenuous activity, let’s not overdo it. Once in a while, you have to take a rest and drink clean water required by the body,” she added.

The DOH official explained that since swimming is a strenuous activity, it can also cause the body to lose fluid, thus the need for one to rehydrate by drinking water.

She also advised against excessive exercise, even for athletes.

“Even if they are accustomed to strenuous activities, with the extreme temperature, you have to caution yourself against overdoing it,” she said, noting that too much exercise during extreme heat can cause excessive sweating, hypertension and possible heat stroke.

“Just because one’s an athlete means he has a strong body; sometimes they have underlying illness, sometimes exercise can even aggravate this condition because one is exerting too much for the body,” she added.

Vianzon advised athletes to closely monitor their blood pressure and watch out for symptoms of heat stroke, like headache and fast heart rate, while exercising.

DOH Health Emergency Management Bureau’s Maria Belinda Evangelista urged the public to take the necessary precautions against the hot weather while swimming.

Evangelista said that because many people want to go swimming to relieve themselves from the heat, it can also lead to a higher incidence of drowning.

Aid to farmers

Meanwhile, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday said they are ready to assist farmers and farm workers who are affected by El Niño.

In a statement, Gatchalian said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has sufficient funds as well as food and non-food items (FNFIs) that are ready for distribution to those who will be directly affected by the long dry spell due to the looming El Niño.

Gatchalian made a video call meeting with various DSWD field offices to check on the preparedness of regional directors for the El Niño phenomenon.

The secretary wants to make sure that “funds and other relief items are prepositioned strategically at DSWD warehouses and are readily available for immediate augmentation to local government units.”

During the meeting, Gatchalian was given assurance that DSWD field offices are “on alert” and have adequate standby funds and stockpiles of food boxes for the anticipated impact of the drought.

Currently, the DSWD Central Office, field offices and the National Resource Operations Center have stockpiles and standby funds amounting to more than P1.35 billion.

Gatchalian said his instruction is to make sure that all families affected by the drought will “not go hungry.” - Shiela Crisostomo