DURANT, OK – The summer heat is making it not only uncomfortable to exercise outside, but also dangerous. Doctors still recommend working out on a regular basis, but do not want people to get their exercise outdoors.

On a hot summer day, parks that would otherwise be filled with walkers or joggers have empty trails.

"They go outside, either they have a bad experience or they get out of their routine,” said Southeastern Oklahoma State University Team Physician, Dr. Joe Harrison.

And because of these conditions, many people are falling out of their workout routine. Harrison said they have to be especially careful with SOSU athletes. But due to high temperatures and high humidity, it makes it difficult for your body to properly sweat and cool down.

"We're forced to go to like six o’clock in the morning workouts. Or even in the evening at this hot, this humid, it's still probably not safe after the sun goes down it's still too hot and humid because your heat index is still 105, 110 degrees,” explained Harrison.

With weather like this, exercising inside is the best way to go. But if you don't have a gym membership, Athletic Director Keith Baxter said SOSU is happy to offer the public another option at Bloomer Sullivan Arena.

"It'll be open from six a.m. to noon for people to come in and walk and jog in a climate controlled area where they are safe from any kind of traffic or any kind of weather that's out there,” said Baxter.

Nine laps around the arena equals one mile, but thanks to air conditioning and plenty of water fountains it doesn't equal heat exhaustion.

"So by doing this the college is reaching out and saying let's stay in routine, let's not give it up and let's do it in a safe environment where you have plenty of water fountains, you’ve got bathrooms, you've got everything you need. And they're going to have a staff here to kind of monitor you so I think it's a win-win situation for everybody,” said Harrison.

And opening up the school's arena to the public is just another way Southeastern can give back to its community.

"We've got so many people in our community that like to walk and jog and have an opportunity to exercise and this just gives them a little bit safer opportunity to do that,” said Baxter.

The arena will be open on regular days that the University is open, starting August 16th, the first day of classes. And it's hard to think that far into the future, but in the winter, it will provide people a place to escape the cold as well.