It’s that time of year agin, when the days are long, the temperature rises and the world seems like a better place! For those of us who exercise, the summer brings with it a whole new set of challenges for us to deal with. Things we didn’t even consider in the other seasons now come to the forefront of our minds. Dealing with the heat and its challenges needn’t be a problem though, if you follow some basic advice.
In this article we’re going to provide you with 5 practical, actionable tips that will help you deal with training in the hot weather. They’ll help make you comfortable and allow you to get the most out of your summer exercise regime.
Tip #1 - Hydrate/Rehydrate Properly
This is so important that I wanted to put it first. There has been some strong research on exercise in the heat and sweating rates. As you’d expect, sweating rates tend to be proportional to three main points…
Temperature - we sweat more as the environmental temperature increases
Exercise intensity - the harder we’re working, the more we’ll be sweating
Fitness levels - the fitter and lighter we are, the less we tend sweat
There are some factors that we can control, others we can’t. Whilst there’s no way to control the outside temperature of your training environment, you can change the time of day at which you train, or the clothes you wear to train in.
Recommendations from the research suggests that performing exercise at moderate to high intensity, in intense heat you can expect lose around 3-4 litres of sweat/water per hour, or up to 10 litres of water per day. If you are training particularly hard in the peak heat, use these figures as a measuring stick for re-hydration requirements.
Tip #2 - Wear sunscreen
Another obvious point is the application of sunscreen. By now we all know we need to wear it, but what has been less clear is the details around application - do we need a particular SPF? How should we apply it? When should we apply it etc?
Canadian research has looked at sunscreen application and provides us with the following guidelines…
Use a minimum of factor 30
Go with generous application - ideally in cream rather than spray form to ensure good application
Apply 15-30 minutes before intended use to allow it to settle
If heavy sweating is expected, use a waterproof sunscreen
Re-apply if you’ve been in water
The important thing to remember with sunscreen is that for the most part, it’s a chemical barrier, not a physical one. You are protected from the harmful elements of sun exposure by the chemicals in the cream. It doesn’t ‘block’ the sunlight, it helps to absorb the negative elements of it.
If you have particularly sensitive areas (ears, lips, nose, eyes etc), then a full block may be advisable, such as the zinc sticks popular in sports such as cricket.
Tip #3 - Pick the right time of day to train
We’re told to avoid the peak sun where possible, because it’s when it’s at its most damaging and generally the temperatures are highest too. The time of day when this occurs can vary on a number of factors, but the general acceptance is that the hottest point of the day is 12-3pm. This is when the sun is at its hottest, which means floors, walls and surfaces are heated too.
These warm surfaces then radiate heat back into the environment, so it ends up becoming a perpetual cycle for a period of time.
If possible, avoid training outdoors during these hours, unless of course you’ve taken appropriate measures against the ill effects of the heat. Get the sunscreen on, drink plenty, dress appropriately etc.
Tip #4 - Reduce warm up time if it’s appropriate
When training in the cold, we have to increase the amount of time and care we put into our warm ups, because of the issues around reduced blood flow and the impact that has on tissue elasticity, and ultimate;y movement quality and injury risk.
Thankfully, the reverse is true in the warm weather.
A physiological process known as vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) helps to improve circulation - vasodilation occurs naturally in the warm weather. In a warm up, we are moving to increase body temperature, creating vasodilation another way.
The additional blood flow created by vasodilation means that tissues are more elastic and able to move well in the warm weather. It’s also important for helping to reduce injury risk. What you may find is that in the warm weather you won’t need to warm up as thoroughly, which can save you time and energy in the heat.
Tip #5 - Dress appropriately for the weather
Your body is a pretty efficient machine when it comes to cooling itself - it radiates heat through the skin and produces sweat, which cools the body as it evaporates.
The clothes we wear can impact that significantly though, whether by keeping us too warm or harming the effectiveness of our natural cooling measures. Here’s a few pointers that will help you make better gym wear decisions, allowing you to stay cool in the hotter weather…
Layers are insulating, so try to reduce the amount of layers you wear
Avoid heavy materials such as wool or thick cotton
Expose as much skin as possible - trousers and jumpers will keep you warm, whereas shorts and t-shirts will help cool you
Wear breathable fabrics or cuts of clothes with airflow - elasticised cuffs and synthetics materials reduce airflow and create more sweat
A lot of heat is lost through our heads, so if you’re liable to sweat, don’t wear a hat
These are common sense for the most part, but they’re important if you want to be comfortable training in hot weather. By all means wear a heavy cotton tracksuit to go for a run at 1pm, but don’t say you weren’t warned!
Hot weather training - summary
It’s possible to train safely in the heat, but you just have to exercise caution. Follow these tips, use some common sense and you’ll be absolutely fine. It’s a case of taking care of yourself and not being silly. You’ll thence able to enjoy some great workouts in the summer sunshine - and there’s plenty to love about that!
If you want your health and fitness journey to be guided by the best personal training team in East London, get in touch with us at AdMac Fitness. We operate from our private personal training studio in Bow, E3. Contact us on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!