Exercising in the heat

When you have a routine with your exercise, you don’t want to mess it up because of the weather and due to living in Britain, we don’t often need to change our habit for high temperatures. It does happen though! 

Here’s how to keep yourself safe while exercising in the heat:

• Wear white or light-coloured clothing that is loose fitting.
• Start your exercise well-hydrated and continue to drink water as you go.
• You sweat more when you are hot, so replace your sweat with sports drinks that have added electrolytes (or you can buy tablets to add to water).
• Shorten your workout time if you can.
• Avoid the hottest time of day and exercise while the sun is low.
• Exercise in the shade where possible e.g. instead of road running, do trail running.
• Allow for more rest days during peak temperatures to give your body a chance to rehydrate and recover. 
• Wear a cap to cover your head.
• Wear sunscreen 

You could also adjust your workouts to suit your energy levels: 

Swap out HIIT workouts for low intensity circuits

Try swimming instead of an exercise class

Cycle instead of running 

Do Pilates or yoga in a cool room instead of exercising outside

Make it a habit

Exercise is all about movement, so as long as you’re moving with an elevated heart rate for 30mins per day, then it really doesn’t matter what you do. Enjoy it and try to keep your exercise routine balanced so your body stays strong in all areas

Written by Kirsty Ritzema