London has been hit by its fourth heatwave of the year this week which saw the city reach sweltering temperatures of up to 34C.
Whether you plan to train at the gym, go for a run, or are heading on holiday and hope to keep up with your fitness routine, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to working out in the heat as it can have a big impact on your physical health.
Abbie Watkins, Personal Trainer at OriGym, has shared five top tips to adapt your workout for warmer weather, making exercising in the heat more manageable and enjoyable.
Using menthol to trick your mind
Training in the heat can often have greater mental than physical affects on a person because perceived temperature discomfort in your mind can cause you to limit yourself much earlier in your training than any physical barriers.
To overcome this, try using menthol gums to trick your brain into believing that you are cooling down. This is because certain receptors in your mouth are triggered by the menthol and send signals to your brain that your temperature is dropping.
You should feel less like you are overheating, even if your core body temperature is still rising. It should also allow you to tolerate the heat for longer and maintain intensity better, particularly if you are endurance training.
Changing your training times
Just as you wouldn’t sunbathe during the hottest parts of the day, you shouldn’t train and push your body physically during these times either. Generally, between 10am and 4pm, the temperature, UV rays, and humidity are at their peak. This means that dehydration, sunburn, and heat exhaustion are all going to be more common at this time.
Adjusting training times to earlier in the morning or later at night can make conditions more manageable for training. Cooler temperatures, lower sun exposure, and potentially more wind will help your body regulate your temperature better.
If you struggle with getting up earlier or staying awake later, try to slowly move your workout time back or forward incrementally – even moving it by 30 minutes each day can make a big difference.
Allowing your body time to acclimatise
Your body will be used to the weather you have at home, so whether it’s a heatwave or going abroad that’s causing you to train in higher heat, the reason it becomes more difficult is that your body is not used to it.
One of the best things you can do is allow time to acclimatise. Since heatwaves and holidays often last several days or more, it’s good to rest for the first couple of days or opt for lower intensity workouts to allow your body to adapt to conditions.
When your body gradually adapts to working in warmer conditions, you should find that sweating efficiency, hydration control, and lower heart rate should come naturally. This should then make your training easier and more efficient.
Reducing your intensity and volume
When the weather is warmer, it becomes apparent that the intensity and volumes that you can usually do are much more difficult. Reducing them can help decrease performance dips and reduce the risks of premature fatigue and heat-related illnesses.
If you are doing endurance training, reducing the distances or the paces should help your body to cope with the weather. For weight training, dropping your working weights by 20-30% of the usual load should have a positive effect.
Reducing your total training time to sessions that are between 45-60 minutes of intense work helps reduce cumulative stress on your body.
Hydrating yourself properly
When you train, you sweat, and as obvious as it is, this is accentuated further by heat. Sweating takes out the electrolytes and salts from your body, increasing the chances of dehydration and cramping.
To combat this, you can try to consume as much liquid as possible, however, your body can only absorb one litre of fluid per hour. That’s why you need to plan your hydration properly.
Pre-hydrating about an hour before your session ensures you’re ready to begin. Then, during your training, you should try to sip water little and often to make sure you are keeping on top of your hydration.
Finally, your post-session hydration is incredibly important. You’ll have lost a significant amount of electrolytes and salts by this point, so sports drinks, anything salt-rich and electrolyte tablets are perfect for returning your internal levels to normal.
