June 19, 2025 • 6 mins
Pro Rehab physical therapist Eric McElroy has great tips for making sure your body is ready for the heat wave ahead as you activate your exercise routine.
HYDRATE - ICE - MASSAGE
HYDRATE - ICE - MASSAGE
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I want to bring in Eric McElroy from pro Reheb.
You work on a lot of athletes at pro Reheb.
I know that, so.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Absolutely I do. And you know a lot of athletes older, younger.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I've seen that. I've been in there enough to see
the athletes of all ages, even some of them are
teenage kids and the others are old dudes like me.
But we're all just trying to stay in some kind
of shape so we can still do something absolutely in
our career.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
And you bring up that you got Dalen Lyle.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
There's a lot of major players right now from Louisville,
you know, not University of Louisville, but Louisville. Guy's representing.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
That's good, feels good all around, that's for sure. All right, Eric,
We're going into a heat wave, and so I wanted
to get you on because other times I talk to
your colleague, doctor Larry Benn's about this. But it's important
to remind people as we're going into this deep heat
wave here over the next so many days. People exercise
doesn't matter if your indoors or outdoors. It changes the
(00:58):
way your body reacts moisture. So let's talk about hydration.
What do you say, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Think you got to stay ahead of hydration. That's the
biggest thing. I think. Obviously we have the heat wave coming, so.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Knowing that the other people get outside more because they're
excited about the heat and the sun.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And they're but then also sweat more.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
The problem is is if you try to hydrate hydrate
during that time, it's late like your body won't keep
up with the water it's losing.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And it's not just the water it's losing, it's the electrolytes.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
So a lot of times people think about hydration, they
think about while I'm losing a lot of water, but
that's a medium and in order for the electrolytes to
actually get into the issues and be absorbed, it needs water.
But electrolytes is the true definition of dehydration or the
loss of electrolytes. So I think making sure that you
have some kind of you know, eating fruits, a lot
of things that have electrolytes in them naturally.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
But also you can supplement with with drinks like smart.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Waters and things like that that have electrolytes infused with them.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
So that's the big thing.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
The other thing is saying ahead of it, like I
said a minute ago, you got to make sure that.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You're hydrating on a regular basis. Watch your urine.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
If it's getting really yellow or dark, you're already dehydrated.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Your skin. Uh, you can pinch it and it kind
of staves. You're dehydrated. Uh. And then and then I'll
and so those are things that you need.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
To make sure you're doing on a regular basis, on
a daily basis, knowing.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
That the heat's coming or the heat's already here, so
that way you're you're not at risk.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Should you drink water right when you wake up in
the morning. I know some people are just like, I
gotta have my coffee. But does a glass of water
that doesn't hurt you to start today?
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Does it? No? I think that's the number one thing
you should.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
You should drink first, even before your glass, before your
cup of coffee. And look, I'm a huge coffee kind
of coffee kind of sewer.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I love coffee. Uh, but it is a diuretic, so
it really.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
You won't absorb water after you drink coffee very well,
and so you're you'll just urinate it out so a
lot of uh, and it'll actually start to dehydrate even more.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So getting up.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
That's the first thing I do is drink a big
glass of water. Actually, you can probably drink several of
those before you start on your coffee routine. And it's
really important. And I think also eating some knowing that
the heat and what's coming down the road, you know,
eating things, you know, harries, bananas, things like that are
gonna help replenish your electrolytes.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Is very important. And doing that early in the day.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You know, again, like I said a minute ago, you
can supplement with some of the different waters out there now.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Uh, but but I think that's really important.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I know, you guys at pro Rehab helped people, you know,
healing from various things. You've helped me through some injuries.
Massages are another smart play as well too, in terms
of preventative medicine, right, I mean, you're gonna go out,
you're gonna work yourself hard during the summertime, whether it's
softball or running or whatever you're doing, or just walking
the dog. Doesn't that help to just put set up
(03:49):
a routine to just get your body, your legs massaged.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I mean any kind of soft tissue work quote unquote.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
You're trying to move inflammation.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I know it sounds only, but that's why my movements
so important altogether, whether it's somebody helping to move and
facilitate that, like massage or like the different types of
what we call manual therapies that we would use in
the clinic, and there's different goals behind those, but I
do think that, you know, any way, you can increase
blood flow to help move that inflammation that we build
up from activity and exercise.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So if we're gonna be outside a lot more and
a lot more active, you're.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Gonna build up more inflammation within your body, which is
not a bad thing, that is, you know, necessarily, but
you got to do things to help with recovery and
you got to help keep that moving, and that's otherwise
you're gonna put tissues at risk at some point, and that.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Goes along hand in hand with being.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Hydrated, to be honest with you, So, uh, you know,
I think then it's important too, uh with those activity.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
If you're gonna do activities and it's hot.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Outside, so to correlate these two, then you you try
to pick times to day so it's cooler morning, evening,
things like that, so you're not getting beat up out
of heat so much.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, indeed, obviously hydration is such a such a huge
deal for people to just be mine full of that
all the time. But yeah, you got to take care
of that bod. And then and then let's let's close
with this. What about ice? When do you need icing
after any run, after any exercise, or just when something hurts.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's a great question.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Again, the whole point of ice is a vaso constrictor,
so you're trying to keep inflammation from building up or
to try to decrease inflammation.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So that would be best right after aggressive, aggressive activity.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Uh, there's a lot of information out there, some of
it has really been debunked, it's not.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Really true or there's no really good research behind it.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But cold plunges and things, if you're gonna do those,
which are great, you just need to do those when
you're you know, after you've done something active, after a
few days, you really want to move over to heat
or some kind of a contrast, because again, you got
to get that inflammation moving. You gotta you gotta vasodilate,
open up the vessels that are helping.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
To push inflammation and get them into the prices where
you can get them out of your body, and so
that's where you really need to get blood flow involved.
Tissues become more elastic.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
They're less likely to get injured, and so that's where
you want to transition.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So within that first few days, if you're really sore
and flame, you need to.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Move out of the whole ice phase into a contrast
or heat phase.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Eric, appreciate the insights. I know people are going to
go out and start ripping it now because it's nice
and hot and they're feeling it. So that's hope.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
That's right. I'll see you on Monday, then, Terry, if
you join them.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Okay, brother, take care, Eric, Thanks all right, have it
going guys. Eric McElroy physical therapists with pro Rehab. They've
got locations all around the area. Back in a minute
on news radio. Wait forty whas
I want to bring in Eric McElroy from pro Reheb.
You work on a lot of athletes at pro Reheb.
I know that, so.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Absolutely I do. And you know a lot of athletes older, younger.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I've seen that. I've been in there enough to see
the athletes of all ages, even some of them are
teenage kids and the others are old dudes like me.
But we're all just trying to stay in some kind
of shape so we can still do something absolutely in
our career.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
And you bring up that you got Dalen Lyle.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
There's a lot of major players right now from Louisville,
you know, not University of Louisville, but Louisville. Guy's representing.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
That's good, feels good all around, that's for sure. All right, Eric,
We're going into a heat wave, and so I wanted
to get you on because other times I talk to
your colleague, doctor Larry Benn's about this. But it's important
to remind people as we're going into this deep heat
wave here over the next so many days. People exercise
doesn't matter if your indoors or outdoors. It changes the
(00:58):
way your body reacts moisture. So let's talk about hydration.
What do you say, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Think you got to stay ahead of hydration. That's the
biggest thing. I think. Obviously we have the heat wave coming, so.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Knowing that the other people get outside more because they're
excited about the heat and the sun.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And they're but then also sweat more.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
The problem is is if you try to hydrate hydrate
during that time, it's late like your body won't keep
up with the water it's losing.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And it's not just the water it's losing, it's the electrolytes.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
So a lot of times people think about hydration, they
think about while I'm losing a lot of water, but
that's a medium and in order for the electrolytes to
actually get into the issues and be absorbed, it needs water.
But electrolytes is the true definition of dehydration or the
loss of electrolytes. So I think making sure that you
have some kind of you know, eating fruits, a lot
of things that have electrolytes in them naturally.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
But also you can supplement with with drinks like smart.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Waters and things like that that have electrolytes infused with them.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
So that's the big thing.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
The other thing is saying ahead of it, like I
said a minute ago, you got to make sure that.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You're hydrating on a regular basis. Watch your urine.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
If it's getting really yellow or dark, you're already dehydrated.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Your skin. Uh, you can pinch it and it kind
of staves. You're dehydrated. Uh. And then and then I'll
and so those are things that you need.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
To make sure you're doing on a regular basis, on
a daily basis, knowing.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
That the heat's coming or the heat's already here, so
that way you're you're not at risk.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Should you drink water right when you wake up in
the morning. I know some people are just like, I
gotta have my coffee. But does a glass of water
that doesn't hurt you to start today?
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Does it? No? I think that's the number one thing
you should.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
You should drink first, even before your glass, before your
cup of coffee. And look, I'm a huge coffee kind
of coffee kind of sewer.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I love coffee. Uh, but it is a diuretic, so
it really.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
You won't absorb water after you drink coffee very well,
and so you're you'll just urinate it out so a
lot of uh, and it'll actually start to dehydrate even more.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So getting up.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
That's the first thing I do is drink a big
glass of water. Actually, you can probably drink several of
those before you start on your coffee routine. And it's
really important. And I think also eating some knowing that
the heat and what's coming down the road, you know,
eating things, you know, harries, bananas, things like that are
gonna help replenish your electrolytes.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Is very important. And doing that early in the day.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You know, again, like I said a minute ago, you
can supplement with some of the different waters out there now.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Uh, but but I think that's really important.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I know, you guys at pro Rehab helped people, you know,
healing from various things. You've helped me through some injuries.
Massages are another smart play as well too, in terms
of preventative medicine, right, I mean, you're gonna go out,
you're gonna work yourself hard during the summertime, whether it's
softball or running or whatever you're doing, or just walking
the dog. Doesn't that help to just put set up
(03:49):
a routine to just get your body, your legs massaged.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I mean any kind of soft tissue work quote unquote.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
You're trying to move inflammation.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I know it sounds only, but that's why my movements
so important altogether, whether it's somebody helping to move and
facilitate that, like massage or like the different types of
what we call manual therapies that we would use in
the clinic, and there's different goals behind those, but I
do think that, you know, any way, you can increase
blood flow to help move that inflammation that we build
up from activity and exercise.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So if we're gonna be outside a lot more and
a lot more active, you're.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Gonna build up more inflammation within your body, which is
not a bad thing, that is, you know, necessarily, but
you got to do things to help with recovery and
you got to help keep that moving, and that's otherwise
you're gonna put tissues at risk at some point, and that.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Goes along hand in hand with being.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Hydrated, to be honest with you, So, uh, you know,
I think then it's important too, uh with those activity.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
If you're gonna do activities and it's hot.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Outside, so to correlate these two, then you you try
to pick times to day so it's cooler morning, evening,
things like that, so you're not getting beat up out
of heat so much.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, indeed, obviously hydration is such a such a huge
deal for people to just be mine full of that
all the time. But yeah, you got to take care
of that bod. And then and then let's let's close
with this. What about ice? When do you need icing
after any run, after any exercise, or just when something hurts.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's a great question.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Again, the whole point of ice is a vaso constrictor,
so you're trying to keep inflammation from building up or
to try to decrease inflammation.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So that would be best right after aggressive, aggressive activity.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Uh, there's a lot of information out there, some of
it has really been debunked, it's not.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Really true or there's no really good research behind it.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But cold plunges and things, if you're gonna do those,
which are great, you just need to do those when
you're you know, after you've done something active, after a
few days, you really want to move over to heat
or some kind of a contrast, because again, you got
to get that inflammation moving. You gotta you gotta vasodilate,
open up the vessels that are helping.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
To push inflammation and get them into the prices where
you can get them out of your body, and so
that's where you really need to get blood flow involved.
Tissues become more elastic.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
They're less likely to get injured, and so that's where
you want to transition.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So within that first few days, if you're really sore
and flame, you need to.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Move out of the whole ice phase into a contrast
or heat phase.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Eric, appreciate the insights. I know people are going to
go out and start ripping it now because it's nice
and hot and they're feeling it. So that's hope.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
That's right. I'll see you on Monday, then, Terry, if
you join them.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Okay, brother, take care, Eric, Thanks all right, have it
going guys. Eric McElroy physical therapists with pro Rehab. They've
got locations all around the area. Back in a minute
on news radio. Wait forty whas
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