Beat the Heat by Turning Up the Intensity in Specific Areas of Your Summer Fitness Routine

As the heat waves of summer continue to roll through, exercising (especially outdoors) can be quite challenging. When the barometer spikes into the 90 degree range and beyond (beyond 100 degrees in Atlanta), it is a natural tendency to sideline your exercise routine and replace it with more cooling activities like lounging at the pool, shopping at an indoor mall or watching movies in an air conditioned home or theater. To keep your summer exercise routine in full swing when temperatures rise and to get more out of your summer workouts, turn up the heat to your fitness regimen by adding more of the following four elements into your workout routine.

 

Hydrate More

Water should be one of the most important aspects of your workout year round, but in the hot summer months, hydrating properly is essential to maintaining and accelerating during your summer workout routines. The key to hydrating properly in the summer is to consistently drink water throughout the day to maintain your hydration level before, during and after your workouts. It also can be helpful to eat water-rich foods such as watermelon, citrus and grapes, which will not only add water consumption to your diet, but also can provide a refreshing snack during the hot summer months.

Fuel More

As temperatures rise, it’s important to fuel your body with whole, nutrient-rich foods to support your active lifestyle. Hotter temperatures can increase your body’s exertion, sweat production and nutrient depletion levels during exercise, which needs to be replenished appropriately to fuel your current and future workouts. Fresh fruits such as berries, apples, bananas and oranges not only fuel your body with water nutrients, but they also are packed with antioxidants for optimizing muscle function and repair. In addition to ensuring the appropriate ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, vitamins and minerals in your diet, it also is important to keep an eye on your sodium and electrolyte levels during hot summer temperatures, as these two elements can quickly become depleted during heat-intense workouts. To determine the appropriate calorie consumption guidelines to maintain or lose weight this summer, check out Fitness Together’s Calorie Calculator at http://corp.fitnesstogether.com/our-solution.

Recover More

Recovery is essential for your mind and body to get stronger, faster, leaner and more physically fit. The more intense your workouts (effort, heat, duration), the more important it is to schedule routine recovery times into your workout and training regimen. To complement heat-intense summer workouts, take time to focus on proper recovery by adding more rest days into your schedule, stretching before and after each workout, and logging enough hours of sleep to boost your energy and performance levels this summer. 

Workout Indoors More

With longer days, more sunlight and warmer conditions, summer can be the season to take your workouts and fitness training outside. In the heat of the summer, though, when temperatures reach record breaking levels, it may be more appropriate to bring your workouts back inside for your body’s health and safety. If you are unable to get outside early enough before the temperatures start to spike, bring your workouts inside by signing up for an in-studio group fitness training session or one-on-one personal training sessions to complement your summer outdoor activities. Or, if you are training for an endurance event like a triathlon or running race, consider breaking up your workouts between indoor and outdoor activities to maximize your training results safely.

For example, if you need to log a 20-mile run for your marathon training, but weather conditions will only allow you to log 10 miles outside safely, plan to run your first 10 miles outside early in the morning when temperatures tend to be lower and then take your second 10 miles inside to a treadmill or indoor track area. For triathlons, you may be able to schedule your swim workouts at an outside pool or lake, but may need to bring your cycling and running training indoors depending on weather conditions. The key to maximizing your heat-intense summer workouts and training is to be flexible, creative and safe.

By incorporating the four guidelines above into your workouts this month, you won’t have to put your fitness routine on hold when summer heat is in full force. If you need to get your summer fitness routine started or back on track, the personal training experts at Fitness Together are here to help you look better, feel better and perform better than you ever thought possible this summer. At Fitness Together, certified personal trainers set up individual nutrition and exercise plans that will help you make your summer fitness goals and aspirations more attainable. Call or come into our local studio today to turn up the heat to your summer fitness routine.


contributed by:
Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, BS
Fitness Together
Fitness and Nutrition Coach