meIf the idea of venturing out into the heat to do something to make you even hotter seems far-fetched, it can be tempting to skip your workout. Still, with a few adaptations, you can stick to your exercise routine and feel like you’re developing a superhuman ability to stay cool. Here are some expert tips on how to handle the heat.
acclimatize your body
Although periods of warm weather can become a more regular occurrence in the futureWe are still not used to them in the UK. You can acclimatise, says Clare Lobb, senior physiologist and technical lead at the English Institute of Sport. At the start of a heat wave, don’t go straight to your usual long run or tennis match. “You want exposures every day for at least a week to acclimate,” she says. Start with about 20 minutes of exercise, adding an extra five to 10 minutes each day. “All of the science says that having your core temperature raised by a degree and a half, or to around 38.5°C, sustained for an hour, is effective in helping your body acclimatize.” That’s what elite athletes do to physiologically prepare for high temperatures, like at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she says. For the rest of us, it has more to do with being comfortable. Studies have suggested that women take longer to adjust to heat than men. In the UK, by the time you’ve settled in, it may be raining again, but you can maintain your acclimatization by taking a hot bath every three days (again, increase the duration gradually). This may be going too far: are you training for the World Cup in the heat of Qatar or a five-on-five weekend?
Exercise earlier in the day
If possible, run or exercise first thing in the morning, when it will be much cooler. Anything before 9 a.m. would work, says Oliver Gibson, senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Brunel University London and lead author of a review on heat relief strategies for athletes. A little later, he says, and: “Although the temperature might have increased by only a few degrees, with the sun in the higher regions of the sky, you’re getting a lot of solar radiation (direct sunlight) on you, which will add more stress.” due to heat and discomfort.
don’t strain
Get your rhythm back. In higher temperatures, even elite athletes do this, says Lobb. Gibson agrees. When it’s hot, don’t chase personal bests, he says: “Particularly in the UK, when we have these unfamiliar heatwaves, just accept that, for a week, your times can be a bit slow.” You’ll still get the benefit, he adds. “Because you’re hot, your cardiovascular system is still working just as hard, because it’s also working to remove some of the heat from the body. So you can run a minute per mile slower, but the fact that your heart rate is 10 beats per minute higher means you still get the same training effect.” If you do a shorter run, it may be too tempting to push yourself harder, “and that could mean you get hotter, more fatigued and may feel sick.”
Find a cooler route
Gibson suggests that if you can, exercise in green spaces or by the water. “It will be about two or three degrees cooler than being in a particular urban area,” he says.
Keep hydrated
By making sure you’re well hydrated before you start exercising, “the body doesn’t get stressed from the first minute of activity,” says Gibson. He has a drink 20 minutes before starting. “Try to drink during exercise. When you start to feel thirsty, you are usually already quite dehydrated. So you need to be a little more proactive and say, ‘Every five or 10 minutes, I’m going to take a sip. If you can, take a bottle of water with you; with longer periods of exercise, you will inevitably become dehydrated and drink immediately after exercising. Sports drinks will help your body retain fluid a little faster, but water “will do 100% of the work,” she adds. “The other drink that is often overlooked is milk, which is a great rehydrator because it is quite high in protein and electrolytes.”
dress for the weather
What you wear can help ease the heat, says Gibson, who suggests “wearing a vest instead of a T-shirt, choosing light colors to reflect some of the sun, and wearing a hat.” He says that technical fabrics are better than cotton at absorbing sweat and helping you feel cooler. You need sunscreen, especially if there is more skin exposed. To avoid sweating, choose something waterproof, Lobb says, “and put it on 20 to 30 minutes before you run, so some of it soaks into your skin already.” Don’t forget the sunglasses.
prevent chafing
If you’re prone to chafing in hot weather, before you exercise, apply “Vaseline, gels, or any kind of lubricant,” says Lobb. Tight clothing can help, but “in some cases, it could make things worse, because you’re creating more friction.” This is where sweat-wicking fabrics are better than cotton, which stays moist against the skin and increases irritation.
try something different
Although you should be careful when exercising in the heat, it shouldn’t stop you from exercising, says Gibson. “If you participate in some sports, you may need to be more careful in terms of equipment and activity levels: Layers of protective clothing in sports like football or field hockey can increase heat stress,” he says. But a heat wave could be an opportunity to try something new, such as swapping running for swimming. Gibson recommends riding a bike. “Because it’s traveling faster, it gets a lot more airflow, so it might be more useful for cooling down.”
Beware of heat stroke
Lobb warns that the first signs that you’re overheating “will be things like heavy sweating but shivering at the same time, your heart rate will go up a lot (probably a lot more than you’d expect for that exertion), feeling nauseous or vomiting, pale skin, headache and you could also get cramps in extreme circumstances.” Once you have progressed, you may begin to feel confused, disoriented, or irrational. It can be hard to spot in yourself, Lobb says, “but you can spot it in someone else if you’re too hot,” so he might consider exercising with a friend.
cool off
The goal is to lower your core body temperature, says Lobb. “Slushies or ice lollies are really effective. The other way your body cools is through evaporative cooling. The moisture on your skin evaporates, creating a cooling effect.” Sweating will do it, but a spray mist can also help. Cool your head and hands, “because you’re much more sensitive in those areas, so you can almost trick your body into thinking it’s cooler than you are by putting your hands in an ice cube or putting something cold on your face.” face, or around the head and neck area. Once, then, when a “cold, wet towel” sounds like a gift.
