Hot weather exercise

richwrites73

How does everyone stay cool in this heat but still stay active if you’re not a gym person?

Corina1143

I swim. Have a season ticket to the local 😎 water park. Have to watch out for sunburn.

AnnPT77

I'm primarily an on-water rower, rowing 4 mornings a week, weather permitting, once it gets warm enough in the Spring to start. Some years are a little sudden, but in general the weather warms semi-gradually here. We started rowing in May this year, and some mornings were still in the 40s F (around 5 C). It's been in the 90s F (around 33 C) some recent days here, and humid. It's hot on the water, especially on sunny days.

The gradual change in typical daily temperature over a couple of months helps me gradually acclimatize to the heat. I wear warmer clothes in the cool Spring, but exertion means I'm soon in a short-sleeved t-shirt and light-fabric leggings even when the air is still somewhat cool. It's rare for me to switch to tank tops because I like a little more sun coverage, but did wear a tank and shorts on one of the hotter recent days.

Once we get to really hot days like the recent ones, we stick with lower-intensity workouts, saving the higher-intensity work for cooler days. We always, always take water bottles in the boats and stop for drink breaks at least twice during a typical outing of an hour-ish, more drink breaks when it's hot.

I wear a ball cap to keep sun out of my eyes always, and when it's really hot will wet down my hat and sometimes even my shirt/leggings to increase evaporative cooling. If I'm rowing on really clean water, I can use that water to wet down, or use water from my water bottle. In extreme cases, I take an extra water bottle in the boat just to pour on myself when needed.

In June, I also help teach a learn-to-row class 4 nights a week in addition to the 4 mornings rowing, and sometimes row during class, too. One very hot night, the head coach brought Gatorade in a cooler with ice, and suggested putting a little ice inside our hats. Something like Gatorade - any electrolyte replenisher - can be good on hot days, too. Some of my fellow rowers make their own by putting a bit of apple cider vinegar, sweetener, and sea salt in their water bottle.

Ice or cool water can also be applied to the neck (cautiously) or wrists - places where veins/arteries are close to the surface, and sort of carry the coolness through the body. Since we're on a river, which is always cooler than the air, sometimes during rest/drink breaks I dip one hand in the water above my wrist while keeping control of the oars with the other hand. After that one cools for a bit, I switch hands. If not on a body of water, just plain cold tap water or water from a drinking fountain is fine - run it over the inside of both wrists for a while.

So far, I've been able to keep up my regular workout schedule, including some pretty hot 15+ mile bike rides in the mix occasionally. Hydration and salt/electrolytes is still the strategy, along with moderating intensity and taking rest breaks. I'm not a mere resilient 20-something, either. I'm a longtime active 69 y/o woman. So far, I've never cancelled a workout purely because of heat.

I'd point out, though, that I've been active, and active as a rower specifically, for over 20 years, the first decade plus of which I was still over the line into class 1 obese. By this point, my overall conditioning for the sport is pretty decent. I know my body well at this point, recognize signs that I'm getting over-warm so should take cooling actions, recognize the early signs of under-hydration so drink water, recognize when I may need an extra rest break.

If someone is newer to exercise generally, or to a particular exercise, I'd encourage more caution and moderation, and encourage close attention so that person can learn their own body signals. If someone is not only newer to the workout, but is also older, more overweight, or has other health challenges, even more caution is appropriate. There's no need to take significant risks!