The Risner Fitness Center staff installed a flag between the gym and tennis courts to warn people against heat related injuries. Below is what each flag color means:

White Flag
Temp = 81¼F and
Use caution and stay hydrated.

Green Flag
Temp = 82 - 84¼F
Heavy exercise for unacclimatized personnel should be conducted with caution and under constant supervision.

Yellow Flag
Temp = 85 - 87¼F
Strenous exercise and labor should be suspended for unacclimatized personnel and reduced for other personnel. Avoid outdoor classes.

Red Flag
Temp = 88 - 89¼F
Strenous exercise should be suspended for personnel with less than 12 weeks acclimatization. Others can conduct limited activities for six hours.

Black Flag
Temp = 90¼F and Higher
Physical training and strenous exercise should be suspended for all personnel.

Heat Stress
The Risner Fitness Complex has joined forces with the Bioenvironmental Engineering flight and the HAWC to introduce a quick response heat stress warning system to members of the Kadena AB community. In a sub-tropical environment famous for a lethal combination of heat and humidity, the symptoms of heat stress and dehydration can sneak up on people working and exercising on Kadena AB.

To accurately document the level of heat stress that is being placed on individuals undergoing physical exertion, the bioenvironmental engineering flight monitors Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT), which combine the effects of normal dry bulb temperature, wet bulb (humidity indicator) and black globe (radiant heat from the sun). For humid climates such as Okinawa, the WBGT may climb over 90¼ regularly on days when the dry bulb temperature is less than 80¼. Flagpoles have been positioned at both the Risner and Nakayoshi Youth Program Complex and signs are posted in various locations in both facilities warning users with five different color coded warning levels, ranging from general caution (white flag, under 82¼ WBGT), to recommended suspension of all strenuous physical training and work (black flag, over 90¼ WBGT).

WBGT is the truest indicator of heat stress, which is caused by adverse physical reactions to the combination of environmental and physical work factors that occur when exercising in the heat. Heat stress disorders include cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke. Symptoms include muscle spasms, profuse or non-existent sweating, weakness, nausea, headache and dizziness. Uncontrolled increases in body temperature may lead to confusion, erratic heartbeat, loss of consciousness and death.

Keeping users informed of heat stress conditions is a key link in the chain of information necessary to provide safe and effective exercise prescriptions to Kadena veterans as well as newcomers still acclimatizing to the hot and humid conditions on the island. In general, users who have not yet acclimatized, arriving from cooler regions, those in poor condition or obese or people with sensitivities to sunlight tend to be more susceptible to heat stress. But it can affect anyone. Establishing a pre-exercise safety checklist with the following activities is an important step in minimizing your chances of falling victim to heat stress:
1 Hydrating two hours prior to exercise with at
least one quart of water
2 Monitoring heat stress flag conditions and
corresponding exercise prescriptions
3 Wearing sunscreen SPF 15 or higher
4 Performing proper exercise warm-ups
including stretching at gradual increases in
exercise intensity

For most of us in the military community, exercise is a 365 day a year activity. Doing so in the hot summer months can be just as fun and safe as the rest of the year as long as everyone takes a few extra precautions and relies upon the information available to them. Stop in and see your local fitness professionals at the Risner Fitness Center if you have any questions about heat stress or any other related fitness issues.