As a personal trainer, you know it’s important to stay active all year long. But the summer heat is a real bear. And I don’t just mean the weather — it can be a challenge to work out during the hot summer months since most of us tend to spend more time indoors.
KNOW THE FORECAST
Before heading to the gym, check the forecast. If there’s a heat warning in effect or if the air quality is poor, you might want to wait it out. You don’t want to be stuck at the gym when your asthma flares up and starts making you feel like death—and that’s not even considering how much harder it will be for you to work out with a stuffy nose!
Also check out what kind of wind conditions are expected for your workout session. If there’s going to be some serious crosswinds (say, 25 mph), maybe try rescheduling until another day. You’ll find yourself fighting against Mother Nature just trying to get back indoors again after each set—not fun!
It can also help if you know whether or not rain is expected before heading outside; this way if someone tells me “Oh hey by the way there’s supposed to be a downpour later today,” I can plan accordingly so that my hair won’t get ruined during my workout time.
Not all hot days are alike
The difference between a heat wave and a hot day is that the latter has less humidity. Heat waves can last for several days, but they usually don’t go on forever. If you’re stuck in a heat wave, you should be prepared to sweat—a lot!
A hot day is not as extreme as a heat wave, but it does have higher temperatures and more humidity than an average summer day. When it’s hot outside, try to stay indoors as much as possible so that you don’t overheat or dehydrate too quickly.
A hot summer day is similar to a regular old summer day except that there will be more people out and about because everyone wants to enjoy their free time outdoors while they can still do so safely without having to worry too much about getting sick from being exposed too long in direct sunlight (see tip #2 below). This also means there will probably be some delays due to traffic jams due mostly because everyone wants access at once – avoid this if possible!
Go early
If you can’t avoid going outdoors in the summer heat, try to go early or late. This will help you avoid the worst of it and also mean that your workout won’t interfere with other commitments.
It’s also a good idea to coordinate your workouts carefully with clients so that they know what time of day is best for their health.
If there’s no way around it, make sure to stay hydrated and pay attention to how much water you’re drinking throughout your workout (and make sure not too much!).
For longer workouts—like those done outside on hot days—you might want to bring along a small cooler full of ice water bottles so that everyone has access to cool drinks during breaks or breaks between sets.
Have a Plan B
If you have a plan B in place, you’ll know exactly what to do if the weather is bad.. This can be anything from moving your workouts indoors, digitally or even taking an extra day off from working out altogether.
Knowing what to do when life gets in the way will help keep you on track with your fitness goals and prevent any frustration from developing.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Hydration is key to keeping your body strong and healthy during exercise. Drinking plenty of water before, during, and after exercise can help prevent dehydration and its resulting symptoms. Not only is water the best thirst quencher available—it also has no calories or sugar so it won’t weigh you down or cause any unnecessary bloating. Here’s what you need to know about staying properly hydrated:
Before working out, drink 16oz (2 cups) of water so that you have enough time for it to work through your digestive system before exercising. This will help prevent cramps later on in your workout!
During a normal workout session, take 8oz (1 cup) every 15 minutes or so with a new batch every hour on the hour if need be! If you’re doing something strenuous outdoors like running laps around the track then consider doubling this amount for best results! On days when temperatures are especially high outside just make sure not to overdo it because then all that extra salt from sweating without enough water would lead into some serious dehydration problems later on down the line–so don’t try anything too crazy unless you want an early expiration date!”
Don't overdo it
If you are really trying to push yourself, don’t do so in the heat. It’s easy to get dehydrated and overheat because of the humidity and lack of breath-ability. Your heart rate will increase, which means your body will also work harder to pump blood. If your workout lasts more than an hour, drink plenty of fluids before working out and during breaks between sets.
Also, this applies if it’s cold outside! While exercising can keep you warm on a cold day, it’s important not to push yourself too hard when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). You’ll run out of energy much faster under these circumstances because exercise requires more calories than usual—more than enough for your body needs in its resting state alone—and thus burns more fat stores for fuel instead of relying on carbohydrates or proteins for energy production as would normally be expected during moderate activity levels (5/10 HRmax).
Wear sunscreen
The summer sun is a killer. It can cause serious skin damage, even if you’re not out in it for long periods of time. To protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays (and to avoid looking like an extra from some sort of zombie movie), be sure to apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 before going outside and reapply every 2 hours or so. And don’t forget those areas people tend to forget when they’re being lazy: lips, ears, and back of the neck!
