How do I workout In this HOT HUMID weather? :(

I live in Canada and it has been really hot and humid the past couple weeks making my workout difficult . I don't know what is a good time to do my workouts I am so hot and tired from the heat. I read that its best to do a workout in the morning but I cant its so hot still lol I wonder if the evenings when it has cooled are just the best thing to do. Is there anyone that lives in the same climate that have any tips to help me make it to be a better workout? I just go for walks when I do workout and a little bit of cardio to music and that is pretty much it.
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Replies

  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    Should try living in Phoenix, Arizona. Gotta just get up and do it and drink water.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    I live in Canada and it has been really hot and humid the past couple weeks making my workout difficult .

    What's summer in Canada like?
    NOe2cxk.gif

    It's generally 80+ degrees and 80% - 85% humidity here every morning just before sunrise and this is the coolest time of the day. I get my exercise in during that period. Sure you sweat a lot but you get used to it. I'm doing 4 - 12 mile runs and I survive without even bringing along additional water. Just drink lots of water during the day and you won't be dehydrated when you exercise.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    what are you doing for cardio?

    surely the humidity/heat cant be so bad that you can't get your walk in.

    push through, sweat it out, stay hydrated, feel great.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Should try living in Phoenix, Arizona. Gotta just get up and do it and drink water.

    This. I'm from Phoenix. It's not so bad if you can get into a gym. Then the only hard part is the burns you get from your seatbelt in the car driving there. :laugh: (I laugh, but am not kidding)
  • laynerich15
    laynerich15 Posts: 1,918 Member
    Gym's have AC.

    Canada is so not humid.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    There are more ways to workout than just cardio. Look into You Are Your Own Gym or get a gym membership and add in some resistance training.

    It's hot (101*F), humid and smokey (thanks to fires) here. I go for an early morning walk (in my PJ's) then go to the gym where it's got AC. Evenings I go for another walk with my kids.

    It's easy to let things be an excuse, but we need to figure out if we really want it and find a way around our excuses.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    I read that its best to do a workout in the morning but I cant its so hot still lol I wonder if the evenings when it has cooled are just the best thing to do.
    The best time to workout is when you do. Just do it, whenever works for your schedule.
    And I get help but chuckle about you complaining about the temp and humidity in Canada. I live in southeastern NC, surrounded by water. Just plan for a cold shower after enjoying a sweaty workout.
  • ItsSlimpossible12
    ItsSlimpossible12 Posts: 127 Member
    I am the same way. I love to run but I cannot be outside in the humidity for more than 5 minutes, much less run in it. Get an at home workout program. They keep you regimented and on schedule and you can do it while blasting the air conditioning (or a fan).
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Hydrate, sunscreen, dress appropriately, realize that you might have to dial back the intensity a bit ... then suck it up.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    I live in Houston.

    I either get up early and do my workout, go to my gym and do my workout, or I just suffer through. As of late, I've been running in the middle of the day, but I have a hydration bladder to help me out. It sucks, but after a week or so it didn't suck as much.
  • Kr1sMar1e
    Kr1sMar1e Posts: 57 Member
    Hot yoga?

    Seriously though, I live in dry heat and the humidity is rough when I'm in it. I tried a climbing gym in Florida once, and ugh! All I can say is push through it, drink a lot, and if nothing else, walk. I was in India during the monsoon season and walked A LOT! It's a good workout.

    Good luck!
  • LoneWolf_70
    LoneWolf_70 Posts: 1,151 Member
    i live in the south where heat index is 105 and mega humidity. YOU JUST HAVE TO DO IT.
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    I go for a run before the sun is up. I refuse to use a treadmill for pretty much most kinds of weather. I just take it easy, sweat a lot and then I am done for the day. It does take some getting used to. After a couple of times, it won't be that bad. You just have to suck it up and get out there. It will break and then when you workout when it is cooler, it will feel like heaven.
  • warriorprincessdi
    warriorprincessdi Posts: 617 Member
    Hey, I see you are in Sydney? I live an hour out of Halifax in the Windsor area. It's crazy hot and humid at home, all our doors are sticking the door jams, etc... I've taken to getting up at 5am for my walk or jog, and then I do my yoga and weights in the evening at home. That way I am only at it for an hour at a time, in the cooler parts of the overall sticky, yucky day. If the humidity and heat is too much for you, stick to smaller intervals through the day.. 15 mins here, 10 mins there... it can be just as effective as powering through an hour session, but may feel easier for you to get through this way. Also, you can try options like swimming, walking or jogging in the rain (I am have been loving how cool and refreshing it is compared to the blazing sun!) or, just set a fan up directly in front of you like I do on our weight machine at home and just get it done. You can do it, just be firm with yourself and have a shower after wards to help cool off and feel like more of a person again and less like a melted puddle of your former self HAHA

    Feel free to add me, I love adding local MFP'ers!
  • Bj0223
    Bj0223 Posts: 133 Member
    Tucson girl here dealing with monsoon season, way humid this month. I run in the morning about 5.30am and by the time I finish its awful but you suck it up. Then I try to swim in the evenings, if the weather is on my side. Going to a gym is always a good idea too and working out at home is nice.

    Good Luck and stay strong!
  • 0Amra
    0Amra Posts: 24 Member
    I hear you, it's very humid in the Summer where I'm at. I think you have a few options:

    1. Exercise in your house. There are a ton of things you can do in your living room to get your exercise in. Look into exercise DVDs, invest in some weights/resistance bands, or even just jogging/walking in place is better than nothing. If you're short on cash, YouTube has some great videos you can exercise to.

    2. Join a gym

    3. Suck it up and acclimate yourself to the humidty. I recommend investing in some good workout clothing that will wick away moisture from your skin and bring plenty of water. Start out slower than you usually do. It sucks in the beginning, but the more you're out in it, the easier it will be.
  • Nojoke81
    Nojoke81 Posts: 131
    Here in London, England we're rarely blessed with weather like that, but it's exceptionally hot ( for us anyway ) at the moment.
    I prefer working out in the gym at this time of year since I get a sweat on much quicker and am dripping by the end of a session which adds to the feeling of having put some real work in.

    Enjoy it while it lasts.
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
    1. Exercise in your house. There are a ton of things you can do in your living room to get your exercise in. Look into exercise DVDs, invest in some weights/resistance bands, or even just jogging/walking in place is better than nothing. If you're short on cash, YouTube has some great videos you can exercise to.

    This. It's been super warm here in Scotland lately (and we're really not used to it so it's hard to bear, strong heat makes me dizzy/tired/upsets my stomach) and I prefer to do exercise in the house at this time. You can run up and down your stairs, jog on the spot, dance, whatever you have room to do really, and there's always a little bit of lifting if you have a set of weights (fairly inexpensive to buy.) It's a shame to miss out on the sunshine but I'll take a cool house when I'm being active any day!
  • heather_hearts_travel
    heather_hearts_travel Posts: 864 Member
    Another Houstonian here. I walk either before the sun comes up or after it goes down. I feel safe in my neighborhood and I wear a blinky light for visibility. If I have to walk when it's high noon and hot (and the air's so humid I'm pretty sure I have gills), I go a little slower but I STILL GO. Moisture wicking workout clothes are a must.

    A lot of the other options listed here are also good. Videos in air-conditioned comfort, a gym, a pool...

    Best wishes to you! You have to decide what is less uncomfortable - being hot and sweaty for a while, or missing your workout and not reaching your goals. I don't know if cheesy quotes help you, but they help me: "Working out is hard, and staying heavy is hard. Choose your hard."
  • DeliriumCanBeFun
    DeliriumCanBeFun Posts: 313 Member
    I live in South East Louisiana. Hot and humid doesn't even begin to describe it here. I ride my bike most days before the sun comes up because that's the only time I can really make it happen. And it's also the most "pleasant" time to be outside. I sweat buckets, and I drink tons of water. An hour and a half of riding this morning, and I drank like 35oz of water. On the weekends when I'm out for longer I always make sure to use sunscreen, bring 2 frozen bottles of water and snacks, money for more water and I just suck it up and do it. It's hard at first; and like anything else, you really have to want it to make it happen. But it does get easier, and eventually you might even look forward to it...the endorphines from a really good sweat are amazing:) Not to mention that higher temp usually equals higher heart rate and higher calorie burn, for me at least. There are lots of things you can do to help stay cooler, like the type of clothing you wear and even hats. Now just get out there and do it!
  • marcinirl
    marcinirl Posts: 4
    Maybe try bay fan and exercise at home ,its really works for me.
  • Thanks everyone ..this summer seems really bad for the weather sorry for making an excuse its just my body do not like the heat when its high. I am thinking of getting up early and going out for a walk and then in the evening. For cardio I am just following a video I watched on YouTube ..I just started doing a walk and cardio since I joined MFP which is a week and half and I have a lot of weight to lose.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Hydrate yourself and drink water before you think you need it. If you are getting thirsty, it's too late.
  • Shaystays
    Shaystays Posts: 34
    I feel ya. I'm in Tennessee (US) but it is still very hot and humid. Since I am not a morning person and can't make myself get up at 5am to exercise, I leave to go to the school track after 8pm (the track is like 5 mins from my house) and they have lights around the track so I walk for about 3-4 miles and then go home.
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,419 Member
    I live the south, where hot and humid is the norm in the summer.

    Sweat is a sign of greatness. More sweat = more greatness. That's how I get through my runs in the middle of 90-some degree humid weather.
  • vegetarianwhore
    vegetarianwhore Posts: 1 Member
    I live in Canada and it has been really hot and humid the past couple weeks making my workout difficult . I don't know what is a good time to do my workouts I am so hot and tired from the heat. I read that its best to do a workout in the morning but I cant its so hot still lol I wonder if the evenings when it has cooled are just the best thing to do. Is there anyone that lives in the same climate that have any tips to help me make it to be a better workout? I just go for walks when I do workout and a little bit of cardio to music and that is pretty much it.

    I live in the UK and it's around 25-28*C during the daytime (77-82 F). I tend to go for long walks in the evening during summertime, around 7PM when its started to cool down. The sun usually starts to set whilst I'm out and it's pretty.
  • Shalaurise
    Shalaurise Posts: 707 Member
    I live in Canada and it has been really hot and humid the past couple weeks making my workout difficult .

    What's summer in Canada like?
    NOe2cxk.gif

    I love this. I consistently give the hubbs a hard time, but he insists they have summer up there every year. I am still skeptical.
  • allangirl
    allangirl Posts: 56 Member
    Hello fellow Canadian friend. I would try going for your walks around 9pm when the sun is setting. Then I have a shower before bed and it feels great. Who cares if others live in Phoenix or North Carolina and it is hotter or more humid. You live by the ocean and it is close to 75% humidity.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Should try living in Phoenix, Arizona. Gotta just get up and do it and drink water.


    I just googled the humidity in Phoenix. It's 13%. Here in NS it's 98% and it's been that way for DAYS. I couldn't sleep in my own bed last night because the sheets were damp and I have to rewash a bunch of clothes that I need to hang to dry because they're still damp from Tuesday night. Needless to say it's hard to breathe when the air is completely saturated like this. Think hiking through a rain forest.

    I remember when I visited the Southwest. It was hot and DRY and not like our sticky climate, at all. Oh, to be there right now...

    PS: Do I sound cranky because of the humidity? Yes. That's because I am. :P

    OP: I can only workout in the gym on days like this. Even a brisk walk is too crazy for me to contemplate.
  • Caper88
    Caper88 Posts: 418 Member
    I'm in the same position Katie, i've been really mind this heat. I don't want to seem to move in it. I have been sticking to going for my walk or run. Before I go, I take a small towel, wet it and stick it in the freezer for a little while. It definitely helps keep me stay cool. I also go for a cool shower afterwards.

    Like someone already said...invest in a good pair of workout clothes that absorb the sweat and moves it away from your body. It helped me big time. It has stop me from getting heat rashes and skin irritation. It is the first time in my life I have ever gone outside in a tang top and I can honestly say I don't care what people think I look like. I am way to hot to care. Proper clothing will help big time when it comes to staying cool. Don't wear big bulky clothing. Bulky clothing keeps you too hot and causes skin irritation. Under Armour is a pretty good brand. I use a brand called Active Wear. You can get it at walmart. They look almost like yoga clothing. They have cool tang tops, sports bras and shorts that have a built in lining.

    They say the best time to workout is in the morning because part you get it out of your way before your day is gone and you have time to make excuses. The other reason is to kick start your metabolism for the day. There are good reasons to do it first thing in the am but as someone pointed out the best time is actually any time that you get it done. If you find it easier to do it in the evening when it is cooler, then that is time to do it. The important thing is that you get it done. I would suggest really early in the am or really late in the evening. avoid mid day time since that is when the heat is the worse. Don't worry about moving your workout time to evening if it means you can get it done.

    I also recommend getting some weights/resistant bands and some beachchbody dvds or good workout dvds in general. This will allow you to set up a fan directly on you while you workout. Sometimes if it is crazy hot I will also use a cool cloth in the freeze trick around my neck as well.

    Most importantly drink lots of cold water. It will keep you from becoming dehydrated and cool you down.