With summer in full swing, working in the heat can be both challenging and potentially dangerous if not done properly. As the temperature rises, it is essential to adapt your exercise routine to ensure safety and effectiveness. Personal trainer Paul Bruce from GearHungry offers expert advice on how to stay safe while exercising in hot weather. Learn how to stay hydrated, adjust your workouts, and protect yourself from heat-related injuries so you can enjoy a healthy and active summer.
Water in the summer? Rather
The body maintains an internal temperature of about 37 ° C. The closer the match between the internal temperature of the body and that of the outside, the more difficult it is for the body to cool down. The body can experience a peak in temperature as little as 12 minutes into a workout. If preventive action is not taken, dehydration can cause heat stroke and fainting.
“Dehydration affects the way your body regulates heat,” says Bruce. “In turn, the heart rate increases to circulate the blood in the body. When the heart rate increases, the blood rises towards the surface of the skin in an attempt to cool the body. The higher the internal temperature , the more blood is redirected away from the working muscles and towards the skin. When the blood moves away from the muscles and towards the skin layers, the muscles receive less oxygen. It is in this case that the muscles will experience fatigue symptoms “.
The body sweats to cool down. While this is an essential mechanism, it contributes to the loss of essential fluid states Bruce. ‘To avoid becoming a victim of dehydration, increase your water intake, even if you already drink the recommended 2 liters a day. This is the fastest way to protect yourself from injury. As tempting as it is to guzzle liter upon liter of water at the end of an exercise session, try to refrain from doing this, because it can lead to nausea. Instead, favor taking consistent short and strong sips of water throughout. This will steadily feed the body and work to avoid a prolonged recovery period.”
Okay, I can just spritz, right?
According to Bruce, splashing yourself with water during a training session can camouflage dehydration. “A common practice is to pour or spritz water on the skin during exercise, especially when participating in cardio. It is important to be aware of the fact that splashing the body in water only facilitates discomfort and it does not lower our internal temperature. Consequently, the superficial cooling effect that this provides can disillusion how the body reacts to the exercise in the heat. Make sure to assess how you feel, how high your heart rate is and how warm you feel. It is wise to remember that, although the heart rate should be high – it should not beat in the chest.
Do you burn more calories in a heat wave?
Doing cardio in the heat may be harder than in the cooler months, but does that mean you’re burning more calories? “Well, yes…but it may be temporary” says Bruce. “A lot of people refer to their metabolism when losing weight, but they are not aware of how it works. Your metabolism is what turns your food intake into energy. The combination of converting food into energy with the ‘oxygen provides the body with the energy it needs to function – either for exercise or to support its vital functions when we rest. The total amount of calories we burn to function is what often we call our metabolism. Our metabolism works faster in hot weather. This increases the number of calories we burn. However, it is important to remember that these effects are temporary the heat wave persists, we have become conditioned to its effects. In simple terms, our body gets used to working in such conditions and the metabolism will return to its original functioning as in the cooler climate.
You really need to know…
According to Bruce, working out in a heat wave is not a time to strive for personal bests, especially if you’re a beginner. “I accept that the heat has an impact on training. I am a big believer that the physical effects of a workout should be secondary, especially in these times. Work protects your mental health, increases the immune system, and keeps Endorphins. Any type of activity that gets your heart rate up is great. Don’t try to run marathons in the heat. It can open the door to injury and impact your future progress.
“Don’t forget to wear SPF. Park workouts are growing in popularity like running on the roads. This is fantastic, however, when the sun shines reach the SPF.
‘Try to swap your evening workouts for the morning. Mornings tend to be cooler than evenings and are certainly less humid. If the morning is not available, be sure to avoid the hours of 12 – 3 pm when the sun is at its peak.”
“Doing HIIT training while wearing breathable fabrics is a great option if you work in the heat. Always taking breaks not only keeps the workout interesting, but provides time to assess how your body reacts to the heat.
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