Forget about the ‘it’s very hot’, the ‘for a few days when I can sleep’. This is the best time to stay in shape and so should you.
Although it may seem paradoxical because of the heat, now that summer is coming is when more people take the opportunity to sports and go running. It is logical: we have more free time, the day has many more hours of sun and it seems that since we have to show ourselves lighter in clothes, we realize the importance of taking more time to exercise and get in shape.
Therefore the heat during this time of the year should be our ally and help us practice exercise and as such we must see it and take advantage of it. For that reason, and now more than in the whole year, it is time to increase our sports activity, taking some measures that help us not to suffer practicing exercise. So if you follow our advice you can not only maintain your daily exercises but also enjoy your workouts.
1. Go for a run first thing in the day
Take advantage starting from the first hours of the day to the last hours before sunset as well. Early in the day is the time when the temperature is mildest. At those times it is needed of water parks and gardens, so if you run close to each of one, the environment will be even more pleasant.
If you go for a run first thing in the morning, it will also provide you with the necessary energy to face the rest of the day in a good mood. In summer, I keep running at noon because I’ve been doing it for more than 30 years so I developed this habit. Of course, I try to take certain precautions, such as always running in a park where the temperature is a few degrees lower than the asphalt, or near the seashore where the breeze helps to get along while race; If I run through the city, I look for the shadows that buildings and groves provide.
2. If you drink you can improve your run
If drinking and hydration is always important, during the summer it is essential. There are people who use camel bags or carry cans of water while running. It is uncomfortable for me, so my trick is to drink a lot throughout the day, to be fully hydrated and to be capable to hold the race well.
There are many people who think that pouring water over your head refreshes you, when in reality is that you do not go beyond the placebo effect to feel better. If you like to do it, but the only way to cool your body is by drinking water, that is our body’s true coolant.
3. Adjust the distance and intensity
Heat has a negative effect on sports performance, so you cannot expect to maintain the same type of training and ride at the same usual rates or do it for the same time and distance. Graduate the intensity of the exercise and its duration, shortening the training time; for example, if you usually run an hour, do it 45 minutes; and reduce the intensity until you are comfortable throughout the run. The important thing is to keep training and keep getting fit, not improving it during this time of year, for that we have another 10 months during the year.
4. Wear technical clothing
Use technical clothing, that is, sportswear made of new synthetic materials manufactured specifically for running, they are better than cotton, because they perspire better, reducing sweating and therefore the possibility of dehydration.
5. Protect yourself from the sun with creams
Use sunscreen. Now there are much ‘drier’ sunscreens that allow you to run without sweat dragging the remains of cream into your eyes, producing that uncomfortable stinging effect on your eyes. In addition to helping you prevent skin cancer, sunscreen can lower skin temperature, so you will stay cooler during the race.
6. Uncover the head
During winter most of the heat leakage we experience while running is lost through our heads, so covering up you’re head with a hat in cold weather can be a great idea.
In summer it is good to let ‘the coconut ventilate’ so if we cover it we must do it with a technical and mesh cap that allows, on one hand, to cover ourselves from the sun, but and very importantly, let us ventilate ourselves by expelling heat through our head, therefore to avoid the dreaded heat stroke.
7. Know the red flags
If, despite taking all the precautions indicated here, you feel unwell, you should stop immediately, find a shade and try to cool off. But for this, we must know well what the alarm signals are, and before which of those we have to stop immediately:
- Severe headache or excessive heat build-up in the head
- Confusion or lack of concentration and orientation
- Suffering from muscle cramps
- Excessive sweating followed by clammy skin and cessation of sweating. Attention, it is a heat stroke
- Upset stomach, vomiting, and dizziness
8. Select your schedule appropriately
If you don’t run every day and like most you only run 4-5 times a week, which is the most frequent average for a runner, schedule your workouts based on the weather forecast. Don’t run on the hottest days of the week and do it when the temperatures are milder.
