How do you maintain your motivation to exercise when it's so hot?
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Another South Texan here. 5:30am is my jam. 79 and humid in the dark, but better than the high of 101. Lately it just hasn't been cooling off in the evenings at all. Early temps are okay, but wish I could order up a little breeze. It was so still yesterday that my face felt like it was burning after each interval. Upside is that I lost .8 lbs in water weight (even after drinking my recovery shake plus my regular 10 cups). Take that water retention!
On non-running days, I work out at my gym with a beautiful AC unit. Can't wait to put in our pool...someday.0 -
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.DeguelloTex wrote: »
True, but 86 at 5:15AM is crappy in its own way. Still better than 106 at 5:15PM, though.strong_curves wrote: »It's not as hot at 5 am in the morning.
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.
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.
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I hear you! I live in DC, which is basically a swamp. We've had a brutal summer and the humidity is just disgusting! On top of that, I am a massive, nasty sweater--always have been; I thought losing 76 pounds would make me sweat less, but nope! So when it's that nasty outside, and not much better in my apartment complex's gym, I just have to tell myself: This is going to be uncomfortable. You are not going to be happy. You are going to be sweaty and smelly and gross and nasty for about an hour. But it's just an hour. You can totally do one hour and then have a cold shower.
I've found that getting used to exercise has been mainly a mental exercise in putting up with some momentary discomfort. Would I rather be reading than jogging? Of course. But it's just an hour. I can take one hour to do something that is exponentially good for my body. I can swallow down the discomfort of being soaking wet sweaty and smelly.0 -
I wait til 7-730 pm to walk, not nearly as bad.0
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Last month almost all of my bike rides were 95-103 degrees outside
I took two bottles of water wit electrolytes and pressed on those 3-4 days a week.
The indoor gym days felt nice as a break
Just be mindful not to dehydrate and bonk!!0 -
I feel your pain. It's been so hot here in N. Texas and humid. For me it's not even the heat that bothers me, as much as the humidity. It's just so hard to breathe in it. I don't do anything outside, but I do workout in my garage (have a home gym). I run our industrial fan, keep a big bottle of cold water on hand, and towels and just push through my workouts. And because I've been doing it all summer, I've gotten pretty used to it. I was thinking this morning about having to work out in the cold weather in a couple of months, and that to me is going to be worse. I hate the cold. At the end of the day, working out has to be done so that I can get to where I want to be in my fitness. And that's what motivates me despite any kind of challenges.0
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I have gotten acclimated by working outside starting in the spring and through the summer. If I had to start cold turkey, I don't think I could do it.0
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I'm in Houston, it's been 100+ for like the last 2 weeks. I have some exercise programs like P90x and the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and whatnot. You can find stuff like that free around the web and on YouTube. Or you can Torrent if you like to live life on the edge like me lol. But I'm the kind who just can't get motivated to workout at home. If I don't go somewhere else, exercise won't happen. So I'm a gym member and I'm there at least 5 days a week. Gyms don't have to be super expensive, either. If you have a Planet Fitness nearby, they're only like $10/mo. Otherwise, I swim whenever I can. Pools, lakes, rivers, oceans, anywhere I can find water. Gives me a great reason to travel, too! I also do plenty of dog walking. I take him before 7a and after 8p so he doesn't burn his paw pads on the pavement.0
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It's just before noon here. 87 degrees and 69% humidity.
As the day goes on, it will get worse. It will rain, probably a lot, likely with thunder and lightning. It's a typical summer day.
Since I know it will rain late in the day, I do my walking and swimming early. Wherever you live, it's something. Humid, rainy summers or snow and icey winters. You just have to fin the thing that works for you with whatever bad weather you have.
Don't let it be an excuse! Never quit.
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It's like that here, too. In the summer I get up early and run before the sun gets very high and the heat really sets in. Most of the year the humidity is pretty low but right now is our rainy season so it's usually around 80° and 60% humidity or higher at 5:30am.DeguelloTex wrote: »
True, but 86 at 5:15AM is crappy in its own way. Still better than 106 at 5:15PM, though.strong_curves wrote: »It's not as hot at 5 am in the morning.
My motivation is that I know that running in the heat will make me faster when it finally cools down, which won't really be until late October (if I'm lucky) or mid-November. Heat makes your body work harder so while it's tougher on me now I know I'm going to be very happy with the results come race season.
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I love to ride...weather and whatnot is pretty irrelevant to that passion for me unless it's really *kitten* out.
If I know it's really going to be a scorcher I try to get my ride in early AM...I usually ride at lunch. In the winter I ride on nice days, but resign myself to the treadmill on *kitten* days.
AC in the gym is always nice too.0 -
I go out to run at 4:30 AM. If the sun is up or soon to be up I ride a bike to get some air moving.0
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Do it in the morning or evening when it's not as hot, and don't be afraid to sweat your butt off. Sweating is good for you.
Just make extra sure you stay hydrated.0 -
kthompson601 wrote: »I hear you! I live in DC, which is basically a swamp.
Completely concur with that statement. I run along the Mall just about every morning because it's far too hot/muggy/uncomfortable/touristy to run any other time of the day. Usually out very early (5:30ish) but am always pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of other runners out at that time.0 -
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Lots of water, a towel, a brief moment of lying on the floor in a pool of my own sweat, the thought of "I'd like to go outside in a midriff baring shirt and shorts when it's this hot, next year."
Edit: I'd like to add, I live in So-Cal where every summer the weather is Literal Hellscape, so you just gotta suck it up.0 -
Another South Texan here. I'm a runner, so to keep me motivated to run, I sign up for races. It might be oppressively hot out, but if I don't get out there and get my runs in, I'm going to have a terrible time at the races. Plus, I feel like I'm wasting my money on these races if I don't train and do the best that I can at them.0
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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.0
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I hate it too!!! it was really hard for me to start but once I did, it bothered me less and less. I also go out at 7am though. also, if you keep running and beasting it when its really hot, you could maybe do the Badwater ultramarathon one of these days.0
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I have gotten acclimated by working outside starting in the spring and through the summer. If I had to start cold turkey, I don't think I could do it.
I never acclimated to Okinawa (2 years) or South Florida (7 years)
http://www.memecenter.com/fun/3152615/i-prefer-cold-weather
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I am out the door before sunrise to get my 6 mile walk in. I hit the pavement about 5:30 in the morning.0
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I won't go to a gym regularly (I know myself now) and it's not really ever cool here in Tennessee. I walk when I can, and I like the FitStar app on my phone for exercise I can do in my living room without any equipment. I also make sure to take water with me when I do go outside.0
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Exercise in the morning or at night.
Exercise in an air conditioned space.
Wear less clothing. I exercise at home so I am not embarrased to be showing a lot of skin.
Take a cool shower after.0 -
Exercising really early morning or at dusk works. Drink lots of chilled water. Also, do you have access to a pool? Swimming would work but again, keep your fluids higher than normal0
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I've been trying to exercise to lose weight. I'm working with a nutritionist, have learned a lot and with my new eating habits in place have lost 9 pounds but I am struggling to be consistent in walking and in exercising when it's so hot. Outside temperatures are ranging above 100 degrees and sometimes inside seems not much better - how do you do it?
I live in the desert, where during this time, 110° heat is coupled with +50% humidity. Working out outdoors during the day can be dangerous if one doesn't know what they are doing. I cycle every day in it, but besides that, I just workout at the gym. UV rays are dangerous where I live (11+ index every day), and couple that with high heat and high humidity, a person can dehydrate fast.
Just do your thing before sun is high in the sky, or in the evenings. Make sure to have lots of sodium, and drink lots of water!0 -
Forget what nutritionists say about sodium. Desert dwellers need sodium. Well above 2300 mg. It is #1 for muscle movement.0
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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!0 -
I just don't think about why I hate running in the heat and just enjoy the run. Yes it's hot and super humid and I look like I went for a swim and not a run but it's worth it.
Edit: I'll add I do go early morning and late night but it's still humid enough to make breathing hard so I just push through. Enjoy!0 -
RockstarWilson wrote: »Forget what nutritionists say about sodium. Desert dwellers need sodium. Well above 2300 mg. It is #1 for muscle movement.
Truth! I'm in Tucson. I weigh myself first thing when I get up, I run, then I weigh myself after I've taken my shower when I've dried off. I do this so I know how much extra water I need to drink that day. This time of year a 5 mile run will cause a 2+ pound drop and I'm drinking water during the run. Losing that much sweat means losing a lot of sodium, too.0 -
I've been trying to exercise to lose weight. I'm working with a nutritionist, have learned a lot and with my new eating habits in place have lost 9 pounds but I am struggling to be consistent in walking and in exercising when it's so hot. Outside temperatures are ranging above 100 degrees and sometimes inside seems not much better - how do you do it?
If possible, get your outside exercise done as early in the morning as you can. Sometimes, an hour difference can make a big difference with the heat and humidity.0
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