exercise and extreme heat

[newmoon]

the excessive heat makes me extremely lazy and i don't feel like exerting myself to the same level that i do on regular days. do you burn more calories exercising when it's very hot (indoors or out)? or is it best to take a day off when temps soar? i notice that i get dehydrated faster and my movements are just slow. seems like a waste to even try.

[carhill]

Having lived in a hot area all my life (it'll be 105 here today) and having trained in the heat (endurance cycling), I found, personally, that hydrating early and often and eating/drinking easily digested products which were quickly metabolized helped a bunch.

 

If one is healthy, there shouldn't be any adverse affects to training in heat as long as one is cognizant of their body and listens to it. Early on, I didn't pay attention and got dehydrated and got the ride of shame back in the sag wagon while the sag volunteers rehydrated me. I thought I was going to pass out and was starting to have hallucinations. Fortunately, my riding buddy (another important tip when training, the buddy system), who was a diabetic and in better shape, saw the signs and called the sag wagon.

 

From then on, there was a specific training regime and I always wore a heart monitor. Generally, on a 70 mile summer training ride, I'd plow through about 2 gallons of water, 1/2 gallon of electrolyte and protein and a half-dozen energy bars. They were about 3.5 hours of riding at about 20 mph with two brief rest stops to fill up water on the bike.

 

If you're not on a pattern for a certain goal (I was century training), sure take hot days off. No need to stress the body unnecessarily. Alternatively, exercise early when it's cool. I'd generally leave at daybreak, about 5:30am or so, and get back by 9am. Of course, it could be 85 degrees by then on days heading to 110. Right now it's 98 outside the patio door at noon.

 

Stay cool!

[regine_phalange]

I hate heat. Exhausts me and makes me dizzy. But I use an airconditioner when i workout. In cold, cold setting.

[Bubberfly]

I live in an area where it's 100+ in the summer and can get below zero during the winter.

I change up my workouts depending on the seasons. Summer I attempt to work out early morning/late at night when it's cool. During the winter I try to work out during my lunch break at work when it's "warmest."

[ufo8mycat]

I wouldn't take a day off because it is hot. My goals are worth more than that.

 

Like Cahill I am an endurance cyclist and Australia is HOT in summer. i have also trained in Qatar which is well.. the desert.

 

 

I start early, make sure I know where to get water, take extra electrolytes etc but I might be on the road for 4 hours +. If your going to the gym or an hour run... just go.

[Clarence_Boddicker]

Hot is fine. Hot with humidity sucks. Of course you need plenty of fluids. Low humidity sucks water out of your body through your lungs. High humidity causes you to sweat a lot, as high air density reduces the rate of evaporation & the cooling effects of sweating.

[CrystalCastles]

Go to a pool and swim.

 

My city has had a pretty terrible heat wave this summer. My gym also doesn't have air conditioning, so five minutes into my workout I'm drenched with sweat. My university pool is open for students at certain times each day for laps or jumping off the diving boards. I've been going twice a week for an hour to 1.5 hours to swim laps. Its a great way to cool off and still get in exercise.

[carhill]

Great suggestion on the swimming. Due to our drought, I emptied my pool and used the water for irrigation. 15,000 gallons can water a lot of trees. However, I heartily recommend it as an alternative to beat the heat and that was primarily why I built it, to augment other exercise regimes back when I was in my late 20's and 30's. Now, just moving irrigation and doing physical labor outdoors in this heat (100 as I type this) is plenty. Ten-15 minutes and I'm done. Heh.

[xxoo]

the excessive heat makes me extremely lazy and i don't feel like exerting myself to the same level that i do on regular days. do you burn more calories exercising when it's very hot (indoors or out)? or is it best to take a day off when temps soar? i notice that i get dehydrated faster and my movements are just slow. seems like a waste to even try.

 

Heat is hard on the body, and you should definitely take care to avoid heat exhaustion. But exercising indoors should be fine.

 

If I took a day off when the temp is high, I'd have to take off 3-4 months Hydrate, exercise in the A/C, and you should be fine.

[fitnessfan365]

You have to slowly build up a tolerance for working out in the heat.

 

I used to have a REALLY hard time with it, and I always worked out at night. But as my schedule changed on me, I had to start training during the day. So little by little it got more tolerable to me. Today I was able to do bleacher runs, battle rope exercises, and 100 yard wind sprints over the course of an hour when it was 100 degrees out. My advice if you like to train outdoors when it's hot, start with 20-30 minutes. Then add time little by little. It's amazing though. Now when I do a workout at night every so often, I'm able to do way more than I used to. The heat has helped me endurance wise.

[Imported]

Yes, take up swimming and find a nice pool to do it at. I hate the 24hr fitness pools. Most of them are so dreary. Not to mention the clientele. I like big outdoor pools at places that also have girls sunbathing, preferably with some shading over the pool. Either way, wear a rash guard, especially if you swim when the sun is high and direct.

 

 

I love the heat!! Because of swimming. It's so much more enjoyable when I am not freezing my ass off swimming laps. And all the gyms I use for running (treadmill) and lifting are very much air-conditioned.

[Harradin]

Cycling is really good to do when its hot, as the wind will cool you down as you ride.