08/17/2026
Back‑to‑school season means fall sports, band practice, and lots of outdoor time! ☀️🏈 With daily temperatures still reaching extreme heat, it’s important to help kids recognize when their bodies are working too hard in hot weather.
Heat exhaustion can show up as muscle cramps, dizziness, headache, nausea, cold/clammy skin, or confusion. Without quick cooling and hydration, it can even progress to heat stroke. Humidity also matters: when sweat can’t evaporate, kids overheat faster. Even temps in the high 70s can be risky if the heat index climbs.
Families can help keep kids safe with regular water breaks, shade time, gradual heat acclimation, and knowing when to pause activity. Young athletes, marching band members, and kids working or playing outdoors all need extra support on hot days.
Read more about signs, risks, and prevention in this article:
Exercise-related heat illness or “heat injury” happens when exercise is done in high temperature and high humidity. It’s one type of injury, unlike sports injuries caused by contact, that can almost always be prevented with proper attention to safety and common sense. Learn more here.