How to Keep Cool while Exercising (in hot weather)
Heatwaves are the new normal around the world. So how you can you exercise when the heat is rising? Here’s some simple tips for you:
The Day Before
-Be sure to hydrate well in advance, drinking some extra water the day before ensure you wake up euhydrated (that’s sportspeak for optimally hydrated).
-Avoid alcohol. A no brainer. Drinking alcohol dehydrates the system. You’ll start on the back foot.
On the Day
- Consider waking extra early (it’s usually light early in summer) and make the most of cooler conditions and quieter roads. One of my favourite bike rides was at sunrise on summer solstice. We started cycling at 4am and had the roads to ourselves. Magical. We got home for a nap before the weather got too hot. Setting off early is the most sensible thing you can do, especially for an outdoor exercise.
- Slip, slop, slap; As they used to say in Australia. That’s slip on a t-shirt, slop on SPF sunscreen and slap on a hat. Sunscreen will stop your skin reddening and burning, so will keep you cooler. Choose a T-shirt with sleeves too. A hat for those with less hair, can also be doused with water for cooling quickly.
- Wear fast-wicking clothes: they feel lighter and you can splash yourself with water and dry quickly. Avoid wearing black, you’ll get extra hot.
- Always carry water with you. No matter if it’s only a short workout, you’ll need it, either to drink or to splash yourself with.
- If you’re heading out, let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
- Set off slowly, checking your pace. Heat can creep up on you as your heart-rate rises, so if you’re too hot it’s absolutely fine to turn back, or stop.
- Body cooling: carry a hat, microfibre towel or buff that you can douse in water to keep cool.
- Park workouts: Exercise under a tree and choose low intensity workouts. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is no fun in the heat - you may up feeling dizzy and sick if you work to failure.
- Indoor workouts: open windows overnight to cool the room / studio and close during the days. A small floor fan is wonderful and can be directed at a weights bench or directly on to yourself. In the studio we use a combination of ventilation from outside, a floor fan and an air purifier. We also operate a carbon dioxide (CO2) monitor to ensure air is fresh.
- Workout Wisely: In the heat your muscles will be extra pliable, so instead of busting a gut with cardio, consider a deep stretching session. Think hot yoga, but you can do from home (or outdoors). Weights workouts are also satisfying on a hot day - especially bench exercises with a fan directed onto the body! It may be sensible to substitute an outdoor run on a hot day with an indoor workout.
- Swim! Either in a swimming pool or at the beach, it’s the perfect exercise for hot weather. On Fridays (my non-PT workday) I either do a morning run, cycle or swim, depending on the weather and what my body needs. Have some flexibility in your training.
- Take a plunge. Jumping into cold water is the best feeling after a hot workout. I have been known to soak my legs in the shallows of Loch Ness after my annual Fort Augustus hill run. Invigorating.
- Eat watery food: salads and fresh fruit taste extra good in hot weather and can rehydrate you. Have some sliced melon on a tray in the fridge for when you get in, or have some chilled water with wedges of fresh lime. Fruit is a good source electrolytes, including magnesium and potassium (bananas, watermelon, strawberries and mangoes - yum).
- Enjoy! If your body is teling you not to exercise in the heat, respect that and wait for a cooler time to exert yourself.
Drop PT Tracy a line if you’d like to learn about tailoring your exercise programme to the seasons - webcam workouts available no matter where you are…
