Summer comes bearing torrid heat more than fruits. Summer is a big downer for people who want to continue on the track to optimal fitness. The intense heat, constant sweating, and general lethargy can make you want to skip exercising altogether. Moreover, you have to adjust your fitness goals since the heat doesn’t allow for strenuous exercising.
Therefore, you have to take steps to ensure that the quality of your workout is not affected. Apart from arming yourself with a water bottle, you can take it further. Summer is a wonderful time, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy it.
What to Look Out for When Working Out in Summer
You might find many fitness tips over the net, but only some work while others are fillers. You must take the time to understand your body and practice what will suit you. There are quite a few tips that will help you reach your optimum fitness goal this summer.
Here are 10 summer fitness tips that actually work:
1. Choose Workout Time
Unlike cooler months, summer is not the time when you can exercise whenever you want. It is best to avoid working out during the 10 am – 4 pm period. This is when temperatures are at the highest. Opt for early morning or late evening for your workout.
2. Select Appropriate Clothes
You may have heard that summer is the time for pastels and light fabrics when it comes to clothes. Instead of skin-tight, body-hugging workout clothes, opt for a sports bra or a light T-shirt. Don’t pile on fabrics – it will only leave you feeling hotter and unable to comfortably workout.
3. Focus on Short Workouts
The torrid heat during high summers can make you feel lethargic and just generally sick of exercise. Instead of pushing yourself to work on complicated exercises, work on short, intense workout goals. A fierce workout of twenty minutes will leave you more energized than an hour-long workout.
4. Indulge in Various Activities
Summer is the time when you branch out and take advantage of what the season has to offer. Apart from the regular exercise routine, you can participate in activities or learn skills like swimming, horseback riding, bicycling. These are all different forms of exercises that are much more fun and interactive. Be sure to keep a gym bottle handy when you’re exercising.
5. Stick to a Light Diet
Summer means ice lollies, seasonal fruits, fruity drinks, and more. You should compel yourself to stay away from food rich in spices and oil. Heavy dishes can cause stomach problems and raise your basal body temperature, leaving you feeling hotter than ever. Choose salads, sandwiches, cold cuts, etc. over foods rich in spices, calories, etc. Opt for lightly cooked lean meats over fatty cuts. You can carry cold beverages in a flask or a thermos bottle to the gym.
6. Move Indoors for Workouts
It’s tempting to enjoy the sun when you work out, but it might be detrimental to your health during summers. Excessive exposure to heat has both short and long-term damages. In the short run, working out in the heat can lead to dehydration, sunstroke, breathing problems, sunburn, disorientation, etc. In the long run, extended exposure to harmful UV rays can put you at a higher risk for skin cancer. In both cases, death is a real possibility. Move your exercising indoors. Even if you don’t have an air-conditioner, the protection from the hot rays is enough.
7. Stay Hydrated
Sufficient hydration is an often overlooked but vital part of fitness. In summers, your body requires water more than during cooler seasons. This is because you lose water through sweat that helps you cool down. Lack of sufficient intake of water can lead to dehydration, frequent urinary tract infections, heatstroke, and in many cases, death. Water is truly the stuff of life, so you can understand that our lives depend on drinking an adequate amount of water. Don’t just drink water right before or after a workout. Ensure adequate hydration throughout the day. Keep a gym bottle or a smart water bottle by your side all day.
8. Increase Electrolytes
When temperatures hit an all-time high, drinking water isn’t enough to replenish all the water leaving your body through sweat. Overhydration is also a dangerous recourse – it leads to vomiting, head and stomach aches, disorientation. Water toxicity can be life-threatening at times. Therefore, you should opt for liquids rich in electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium. You should consciously increase your intake of electrolytes to replace the vital minerals that you lose through sweat and urine. Instead of buying commercial electrolyte-rich drinks, make it yourself. You can carry it in a water bottle or a smart water bottle.
9. Reduce Protein Intake
Protein is imperative to gather energy for workouts. However, studies show that too much protein in summer can have adverse health effects. Protein raises your basal temperature by a degree or two. Too much protein can make you feel considerably warmer in the heat. This added warmth can make you feel uncomfortable and cause stomach upsets, excessive sweating, increased malodor in the armpits, etc.
10. Listen to Your Body
After all that’s said and done, what is most vital for you is to be attentive to your body. If you don’t feel like hitting the gym for an intense workout, don’t push yourself. Your body has the last word, so you should know when to push your boundaries or not. It’s easy to fall tremendously sick under the heat. Let your body move to its tune. Go easy on yourself and treat yourself once in a while. Enjoy the benefits of summer.
Conclusion
You must stick to your fitness goal. However, what is crucial is that you understand the needs of your body. Pushing yourself for that extra mile may end up in you falling sick. Hydration via a water bottle or a flask will keep you healthy Remember, your body is what helps you achieve your dreams. Remember to treat your body right.