5 Ways Your Workouts Can Thrive in the Summer Heat
With temperatures skyrocketing, it becomes even tougher to motivate yourself to hit the gym. Heat makes you lethargic just as summer opens up a whole new world of workouts and recreational activities to get you active. Keep in mind a few things to make the most of your summer exercise routine.
Electrolytes and water.
Pay attention to how much water you drink, and try to keep it above eight cups a day if you’re active. While hydrating more often is vital for sweaty summer workouts, you sweat more than just water. Electrolytes like sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium also need to be replenished. You might be tempted to grab a sugary sports drink to replace those electrolytes, but eating a banana or avocado and not restricting your salt intake works just as well.
Time of day.
If you can rise early, do any outdoor workouts before the sun breaks the horizon. For night owls, get active after the sun sets, but keep in mind that it’ll be cooler in the mornings. If the heat is still too much for you, try splitting up your workouts between the morning and evening. You’ll be much less likely to get overheated with these shortened bursts of exercise.
Summer wardrobe.
Pack away your dark clothes, because you’ll want to wear light colors like white for the foreseeable future. While black absorbs heat, white reflects all light wavelengths. To stay cool and avoid skin irritation, throw on looser clothes than you would normally wear. Wicking material will also repel sweat from your skin, keeping you from drowning in sweat and keeping your body cool.
Tailor your workout to the weather.
Not every summer day will be miserably hot, so you’ll be able to schedule some intramural games, running, or yoga in the park. For the insanely humid, blistering days, try biking or water sports. It’s a great excuse to crosstrain and mix up your workouts.
Get inside.
Some days it’ll just be too hot to do much outside. If you don’t feel like spending much on a gym membership or indoor classes, make sure you’re prepared so you don’t have to skip a workout. Grab some exercise DVDs or look up free workouts on YouTube. If you’ve got a mat and some free weights at home, you’ll have plenty of routines to choose from.
Electrolytes and water.
Pay attention to how much water you drink, and try to keep it above eight cups a day if you’re active. While hydrating more often is vital for sweaty summer workouts, you sweat more than just water. Electrolytes like sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium also need to be replenished. You might be tempted to grab a sugary sports drink to replace those electrolytes, but eating a banana or avocado and not restricting your salt intake works just as well.
Time of day.
If you can rise early, do any outdoor workouts before the sun breaks the horizon. For night owls, get active after the sun sets, but keep in mind that it’ll be cooler in the mornings. If the heat is still too much for you, try splitting up your workouts between the morning and evening. You’ll be much less likely to get overheated with these shortened bursts of exercise.
Summer wardrobe.
Pack away your dark clothes, because you’ll want to wear light colors like white for the foreseeable future. While black absorbs heat, white reflects all light wavelengths. To stay cool and avoid skin irritation, throw on looser clothes than you would normally wear. Wicking material will also repel sweat from your skin, keeping you from drowning in sweat and keeping your body cool.
Tailor your workout to the weather.
Not every summer day will be miserably hot, so you’ll be able to schedule some intramural games, running, or yoga in the park. For the insanely humid, blistering days, try biking or water sports. It’s a great excuse to crosstrain and mix up your workouts.
Get inside.
Some days it’ll just be too hot to do much outside. If you don’t feel like spending much on a gym membership or indoor classes, make sure you’re prepared so you don’t have to skip a workout. Grab some exercise DVDs or look up free workouts on YouTube. If you’ve got a mat and some free weights at home, you’ll have plenty of routines to choose from.