Many of us struggle in our workouts as the temperature raise. The good news is there are things you can do before, during and after your workouts to battle the summer heat.
1) Hydrate & Rehydrate
Maintaining adequate levels of hydration, with water or sports drinks, is probably the easiest and best way to avoid over heating during your workout If we are hydrated our body will be able to do its thing (ie sweat) to keep us cool.
2) Adjust Your Workout Timing
We all have a limited window when we can workout but adjusting your schedule to hit the gym during early morning and/or evening hours, when it is a tad bit cooler, could make a difference in you getting that PR or not.
3) Wear Appropriate Clothing
Choosing light colored breathable clothing will help keep you feeling cooler as the workout heats up. Some fabrics are actually designed to pull sweat away from your skin during exercise which help to speed up evaporation. A hat and sunglasses are great fashion accessories to shade you from the hot sun.
4) Get Wet
Throw some cold water on your head! We see kids doing it all the time after games or practice but this is actually an efficient way to regulation your skin’s temperature mid-workout. Areas of the body that are very receptive to this cooling strategy are the head, neck, and armpits.
4) Heat Acclamation
The body is good at adapting to our surroundings. Have you have noticed how much better you feel working out at the end of summer versus the beginning? This is because after continuous exposure to hot conditions your body learns how to deal with the heat better. So get out there, break a sweat and kick some ass.
– Matthew Kirkendall, Owner / Head Coach
