Is lightning a threat to outdoor sports and exercise?
With the recent rainy weather, I wanted to go over some lightning safety tips.
Rain and lightning storms often make for an “epic” sports game as depicted in movies or gatorade commercials. However, the presence of lightning during outdoor activities poses a threat to our safety.
What are the chances that one will be struck by lightning?
About 150 Canadians are seriously injured each year by lightning; Many suffer permanent neurological disabilities. Lightning kills more Canadians than hail, wind, rain and tornadoes combined, making it a prime safety consideration.
With that said, one needs to be careful when exercising or playing sports during a rain or lightning storm. The 30-30 rule or the Flash to Bang method are ways to gauge whether it is safe to continue playing.
- Count the seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder.
- If count less than 30 seconds, stop all outdoor activity and seek shelter
When seeking shelter, avoid tall trees, lone objects (poles), metal objects, water and open fields. The best position to be in is a crouch, do not lie flat – want to reduce contact with the ground. Also staying in a car with the windows up is a safe place to be. Allow 30 minutes to pass after the last lightning/thunder before resuming. Remember also, that it does not need to be raining for lightning to occur.
Hope that you can apply these safety tips to make a lightning safety plan the next time you are exercising outdoors.
Happy and safe exercising!
Cheers,
Amanda Lum, BPhe, CAT(cc)
