It’s been hot as blazes here in North Texas (and much of the country of late); it was 81 at 625 this morning on my way to a local park to walk, and the heat index was pushing 105 three hours later as I finished my second workout of the morning. The image above was taken from the NWS site here locally yesterday…
Today’s post isn’t meant to be an all-inclusive, exhaustive commentary on exercising and thriving in the heat, it’s intended to answer a few common questions that are coming in from clients, and remind you of a few key principles to follow.
The Prime Directive for Working Out in the Heat: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Working out (or working) in the heat, particularly when higher humidity levels are part of the game, means you’ll need to pay particular attention to hydration. Count me among those who opine that rigid, one-size fits all hydration guidelines (8-10 tall glasses of water per day) are kinda silly if you’re paying attention to what your body is telling you, but the game changes when you’re pouring sweat at prodigious rates in the heat.
Water with a pinch of salt and trace minerals is the ideal hydration tool, probably as is coconut water, perhaps diluted to half strength. Interestingly Sisson argues that fresh squeezed orange juice with a pinch of salt is one of his favorites; read his logic in this post.
Understand, and Watch For, the Early Symptoms of Heat Related Illness
Not to push you to be hypochondriacal, but there are a few symptoms you need to be on the lookout for, especially if you plan on exercising vigorously in the heat. These symptoms include dizziness or feeling lightheaded, excessive sweating, excessive fatigue, headache, confusion or perhaps anxiety, a weak and rapid pulse, muscle cramps, and possibly even nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
It can happen when you least expect it; it did to me yesterday in fact. I happened to be finishing a workout I routinely do without a significant struggle yesterday (heat index pushing 105) when I noted I was sweating excessively, felt a wave a global fatigue, the onset of a mild headache, and even a little nausea. My point – I knew immediately it was time to pack it in, cool off, and hydrate. You MUST do the same if the need arises.
Tips to Beat the Heat, and Keep On Exercising
Adjust your workout to fit the weather. Walking is almost always a great fall back; consider cycling (make your own breeze) or a pool-based workout as well. You may need to drop off in terms of intensity, pace, or volume during the hottest days.
Hydrate all day, not just during and immediately post your exercise.
Hit it early, with late evening a reasonable choice if early doesn’t work. These early summer mornings are some of the very best of the year, I love hitting the trails or the soccer fields for sprints before sunrise – it’s the coolest part of the day for most of the country right now.
Taking your fitness efforts indoors can be helpful; I know, I know – I much prefer to be outside as well, but there are some scenarios where the air conditioned gym wins the day.
Consider breaking a longer workout into several shorter intervals during the hottest days, or experiment with HIIT training if you’ve not utilized these short duration and damned challenging workouts.
Finally, considering carefully and thoughtfully embracing the challenge of building your fitness using heat as an hormetic stressor – here’s a great example.
Be safe, be smart, and we’ll have more to come about prospering in the heat in a few days…
