How do you maintain your motivation to exercise when it's so hot?

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  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Forget what nutritionists say about sodium. Desert dwellers need sodium. Well above 2300 mg. It is #1 for muscle movement.

    Truth! Every desert race I've ever participated in began with handing out sodium tablets.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    RGv2 wrote: »
    It's not as hot at 5 am in the morning.
    True, but 86 at 5:15AM is crappy in its own way. Still better than 106 at 5:15PM, though.

    I'd take 86 with little to no sun 8 days a week, humidity level also makes a big difference. When I was stationed in death valley, we used to workout at 5am. It was in the mid 90's, but felt like the mid 70's because there was 0 humidity.
    We also have the humidity, though. When I step outside onto my front porch, it feels like somewhere between "I just got done watering the lawn for an hour" and "It just stopped raining," depending on the day.

    I've been to Vegas and Arizona in the summer. 115 with lower humidity is far, far more tolerable... as long as you don't touch metal. The metal is freaking hot with or without humidity.

    I wish that I ad 86 and humid for my AM workouts. It's a treat the week a year it's in the 70's.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    RGv2 wrote: »
    It's not as hot at 5 am in the morning.
    True, but 86 at 5:15AM is crappy in its own way. Still better than 106 at 5:15PM, though.

    I'd take 86 with little to no sun 8 days a week, humidity level also makes a big difference. When I was stationed in death valley, we used to workout at 5am. It was in the mid 90's, but felt like the mid 70's because there was 0 humidity.
    We also have the humidity, though. When I step outside onto my front porch, it feels like somewhere between "I just got done watering the lawn for an hour" and "It just stopped raining," depending on the day.

    I've been to Vegas and Arizona in the summer. 115 with lower humidity is far, far more tolerable... as long as you don't touch metal. The metal is freaking hot with or without humidity.

    I have a friend who was "branded" by a seat belt buckle years ago. She still has the scar.
  • justrollme
    justrollme Posts: 802 Member
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    Where I live, we've been having heat-waves in the upper 90s off and on since early July. I really love walking (and some newbie beginner running) in a local park. I learned the hard way that no amount of sunscreen, shades, floppy hats, etc. can keep me from wilting like the Wicked Witch of the West in a puddle. On days like that, I wait until about an hour before dusk to go out, and make sure I have water with me. It's much more bearable at that hour. A couple of times, it even misty-rained, so I had the park to myself and it felt soooo nice. (I also kept checking my weather app to make sure there was no lightning danger.)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Yep, gym.
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
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    I dislike the gym, but when it is hot, that is where I go.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    dubird wrote: »
    I wait until the temperature drops in the evenings to do my walking. I also carry a large water bottle with me since I dehydrate very easily. The biggest problem I have with that is that I don't like walking at night, espically since the streets in my neighborhood aren't well lit. Granted, it's not like I'm walking down some ghetto block full of gang members, but I still get paranoid about walking after dark. To much Forensic Files I guess.

    LOL, I love Forensic Files!

    I do the same. I'm not an early bird at all, so I wait for the sun to go down if I'm going to walk. I'm more concerned about getting hit by a car though!

    Yeah, some people (including my husband) say to just get up before dawn when it's nice and cool. I say screw that, I'd rather sleep in! I could go down the street to the gym, but prefer walking outside when I can.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
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    Forget what nutritionists say about sodium. Desert dwellers need sodium. Well above 2300 mg. It is #1 for muscle movement.

    When I was in the army and we went for training in the Mohave dessert, they gave us salt tablets to help us retain water so we would not dehydrate as much.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
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    I get a nice bit of walking done early in the morning, on my way to the bus for work. I leave the house a little earlier than I have to so I can squeeze in a few more steps.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    Another Texan here, and I do know what you mean. More than a week of 100+ starts affecting my psyche. Here are a couple things that help me.
    1) Think of it as a short term challenge. You may need to make some short term adjustments, both time and location. I hate gyms, too, but it's not so bad as "a temporary change of pace."
    2) Go when it's coolest. I watch this maybe a bit obsessively, but my lows have been 7:30-8:30AM for a month. Sometimes my schedule gives me no choice but to go earlier, but that still puts me in the low 80'sF. I can't complain about that. One August our lows never got below 95F, and I don't run in that, even if it's dark. That's when I tell myself indoors is "a refreshing change of pace."
    3) Have a margarita. A good one. Figure out how many calories it has when made the way you like it, and do what you have to to make room for it. It takes the edge off.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    It's cold here but same sort of issues, weather isn't great etc

    For me I haven't stayed motivated, normally I lift some weights Monday and Tuesday and kick boxing Wednesday Thursday.

    Past few week I have been doing one or the other.

    But whether seems to be getting better, I'm not wearing gloves to bed :smiley:

    I guess you got to keep trying and not fall of the wagon completely.