The dog days of summer are upon us and that means a lot of us are running for the air conditioning. For those brave souls who still head outside for a workout, we wanted to give you some survival tips.
- Become an early worm. With the sun pounding down, it doesn’t take long to get overheated. Our favorite way to survive the summer months is to make sure that we complete our workouts before 10am. In fact, we like to head out at dawn in the 80-degree Texas mornings. Not a night owl? Wait until after 7pm…it’s not as cool as in the morning but it’ll do.
- Light and loose. With the mercury rising, ditch the skin-tight, dark-colored workout clothes. Staying with light-colored, loose-fitting clothes will not only help reflect the sun’s rays, it will also let you take advantage of any summer breeze. We prefer synthetic over cotton because they generally stay dryer and wick sweat better.
- Drink like crazy. Water that is. Hydration is even more important during the summer months due to the increased sweat rate. Make sure you are at least drinking your body weight in ounces. For more tips about water consumption check out our latest post. Looking for electrolyte replacement? Skip the sugary sport drinks and turn to something more natural like coconut water.
- Protect yourself. While we all need our Vitamin D, too much sun can lead to skin cancer. Make sure you are applying sunscreen liberally and often. Apply even on cloudy days. Go for a sunscreen with sweat resistance and one that w0n’t block pores. Don’t forget your eyes and make sure to sport a pair of sunglasses when you’re out and about.
- Aim for the shade. If you do find yourself out and about during the heat of the day, find a place in the shade for a workout. Go to a park or head out for a trail run. Reducing your sun exposure will help keep you cooler. Want to stay even cooler? Find a park near water!
- Start slow. It takes time to acclimate to hot weather. If you’re having to exercise in the heat, start with 20 minutes and gradually build your time outside.
- Be smart. Is it too hot outside? Don’t force it and head to the gym to take advantage of the air conditioning. Better yet, take a couple laps in the pool. Not a big swimmer? Here’s a great pool workout for runners or injured athletes.
Do you have a tip that we didn’t list? Please leave a comment below!
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In hot weater, fill portable hydration systems with ice cubes and top off with ice cold water. Provides nice, cold hydration *during* runs to cool your core temp. It’s been 100+ in Austin daily, with temps still in the 90s after 9 PM.