Q&AZ: How can you exercise outside safely in Arizona's extreme heat?

Triple-digit heat doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising outside. However, there are few things to know to do it safely, especially if you're from out of town.

Hayley Root is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at Northern Arizona University’s Phoenix campus.

One obvious precaution is hydration, but also "a really big part of preventing any kind of heat illness, one side of that is being acclimated," Root said.

Which, Root said, means gradually exposing yourself to the heat.

"Because acclimatization can take anywhere from seven to 14 days to kind of get used to an environment," Root said.

And when you do go out to exercise, timing is everything.

"So, 6 a.m. to maybe 9 a.m., depending on how warm it's getting that day, or 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. are typically the windows where you're going to get less, like, direct sun exposure," Root said.

And people should also pay attention to the risks of experiencing heat-related illnesses.

"And when we're in dry environments, like, sweat, kind of, wicks off of our skin much easier to try to cool us down compared to people who live in a humid environment. So I think sometimes that can be really deceptive for people who may not realize just how much water they're losing," Root said.