Working Out in the Heat? Yes, but Do It Safely With Our Science Proven Tips
Summer is full-on and the warm, sunny days are perfect for outdoor exercise. You don’t need to wear heavy clothing, just a light top and bottoms and you are out the door. Beware though; working out in the heat can be dangerous if you don’t take the right precautions. Hot weather shouldn’t be ignored as it can be the cause of heat-related health condition such as a heat stroke, heat exhaustion, or extreme dehydration - all of which can greatly derail you from your fitness goals and be damaging to your health. Even in milder cases of over-heating, it can make you feel miserable for a few hours and in serious need of rest - so why risk it?
Is working out in the heat worth it? The short answer is yes, we can still exercise when it’s hot outside -but treat the whole process carefully and take some much needed precautions. When the mercury rises, the workouts that we considered easy can feel much harder, placing more physical demands on your body. Still - pushing yourself to extremes when it's hot outside can overburden your body’s regulatory system increasing the risk of developing a heat-related illness. In these circumstances, it's important to prevent dehydration and heat fatigue or there could be serious consequences. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 300 Americans succumb every year to fatal heat-related illnesses that could easily be prevented if people follow some simple tips such as those shared below.
How does heat affect the body?
Exercising in the heat puts extra stress on your body as the air temperature contributes towards your body temperature during exercise, therefore making core temperature higher than normal. To help cool itself, your body in turn sends more blood outwards to the skin. This process leaves less blood within the muscle, which has the effect of increasing your heart rate. When it's both hot and humid, this stress is even higher. In these circumstances, sweat doesn't properly evaporate from the skin putting you at an even greater risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. So exercising when it’s hot and humid should be treated especially carefully.
4 Key Safety tips when exercising in the heat
Always replenish water and electrolytes
Exercising in hot weather depletes your body’s fluids so make sure you drink water or electrolyte drinks - even if you don’t feel thirsty. Start drinking before your workout, keep drinking as you go, and continue to drink afterwards, as it's surprisingly easy to lose great quantities of water weight through heavy sweating. The trick is to try and weigh yourself before and after a workout – and then replace each pound of weight loss with two to three glasses of water. Go for water first as it moves more quickly through your tissues but also aim for a sports drink if you are sweating heavily and for a long time. Whilst cold water is usually the drink of choice, cool water is preferable as it can be absorbed faster and more efficiently by the body.
Create a specific training plan for the heat
By now you probably have a specific workout plan according to your needs and goals. Exercising in the heat means you might need to modify it or alter it altogether. Hot temperatures place stress on the body as it works harder to cool down so make sure you lower your workout intensity. The theory is to make your training session less intense and short enough to make you feel strong but not exhausted. Another good idea is to try a totally different workout that won't put as much strain on your body such as biking or an easy job in the outdoors. Adding a water activity on a super hot day is perhaps the best way to both work out and feel rejuvenated. Swimming, surfing, or rafting are all great activities that can add a lot of fun on a hot day whilst still achieving an exercise goal.
Know your limits -and respect them
You are getting ready for that hot weather workout but before you lace up your running shoes take a look at the weather report and focus on the least heat-intensive part of the day. A workout that feels easy on a temperate day can become dangerously intense on a hot, humid afternoon. What is imperative is to understand your body and your own fitness limitations and to respect them. Take into account your physical condition, your goals, and whether you are accustomed to working out in hotter weather. Approach your workout cautiously, keeping a constant eye on how you feel. Heat makes you more vulnerable so if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous, aim for a cool or air-conditioned place to rest.
Avoid the hottest part of the day
Summer days may be hot and humid, but the daily temperature has variations you can take advantage of. Plan your workouts in the morning, as early as you can to avoid the middle of the day heat intensity, or later in the afternoon when the environment begins to cool a little. Generally speaking, going out before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. is the best way to avoid the hot sun stressing your body during the workout. Summer heat generally peaks between 11 am – 3 pm so this is a good indicator of when to avoid exercising outdoors as a rule. The best way to be safe is to check the temperature and humidity in local weather reports and plan your day accordingly. Make sure you stay away from working out when it's 80 degrees or higher especially in high humidity and in this instance, think about taking your workout inside, which is often the safest route to follow. Overall, stay heatsafe!
