Beat the Heat Three Tips To Avoid a Meltdown

By John A. Mays, MSEd

With summer temperatures with us for another couple of months, it can be hard to focus on your workouts and keep your eye on the prize. As sweat drips down your face and clothes stick in various places, it's a lot easier to throw in the towel and accept defeat, instead of sticking to your routine and beating the heat.

To keep from melting away this summer, overcome the intense hot sun with a consistent fitness routine that is active, cool, safe and fun.

Say Hello To Hydration

Drinking enough water is important throughout the year. But when temperatures climb in the summer months and you are active outdoors, it is even more critical to maintaining your health and safety.

Before you workout, you should have between eight to 12 ounces of water, and then continue to drink water throughout your workout. The more you perspire during your workout, the more water you need to drink. It's also a good idea to drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning to replenish your water supply.

It's also important to keep tabs on other elements that can contribute to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, including body size, exercise intensity, fitness level, age, humidity and air temperature.

Hit the Pool To Stay Cool

Summertime equals swimming time for most kids and families, but taking your workouts to the pool can also be a great way to stay cool while being active this summer.

Swimming laps is a great total-body cardio and resistance workout, but you don't have to be a strong swimmer to benefit from exercising in the water. Alternating between treading water and resting in the deep end of the pool for one-minute intervals is also effective. The power of water as a built-in resistance tool can allow you to burn a maximum amount of calories in a relatively short amount of time.

Head Indoors For a Healthy
Exercise Environment

If grueling hot temperatures are weighing you down and keeping you from your outdoor workouts, take your exercise routine inside for a more stable and consistent environment. Working out indoors can help protect you from the outdoor elements of the summer season and allow you to focus more on getting in a good workout.

Whether you work out inside or outdoors, the most important thing this is to keep your exercises fun and challenging, while maintaining consistency when the heat is on the rise.