9 Practical Tips for Working Out in the Summer Heat
You’ve planned it all out the night before. You’re going to wake up, eat a healthy and delicious breakfast, throw on your exercise clothes and go get that workout in! But the next day, you step out the front door and–BAM. You’re hit with a tidal wave of heat and humidity. Suddenly you want to slam the door, crank up your AC and lie under a fan. As someone who does all her workouts in an outdoor barn/shed, I see your struggle. I GET just how hard it is to force yourself to exercise when it’s boiling out. But don’t quit on your fitness goals just yet–I’m here to help and share my top tips for working out in the heat.
After reading this post, you’re going to feel inspired and motivated to hit your workout despite the sweltering heat, because you’ll have 9 super practical tips to help you fight the high temps so you can work out safely and effectively.
Ready to dive in? Let’s get it!
Dangers of working out in the heat
If you’ve ever worked out or gone running in the heat, you already know it doesn’t take long before your body starts feeling uncomfortable. To say the least.
Of course, you don’t want to stop exercising just because it’s hot out. But you also want to be aware of the potential dangers of working out in the heat.
The biggest things to look out for are dehydration and heat exhaustion. That might seem like an obvious statement, but it’s important to think about the dangers before you start hitting the weights. That way, you can properly prepare for them.
So, be wary of common symptoms of heat exhaustion like dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and light-headedness. You might also get headaches and notice that your weights feel way heavier than they did before.
Now you know some potential dangers of working out in the heat, but what can you do to work out as safely as possible and prevent those issues?
Best safety tips for working out in the heat
In order to stay safe and fight off heat exhaustion or dehydration, here are a few quick tips you can implement.
- Staying hydrated is crucial. Drink tons of water before, during and after your workout to keep your fluids up.
- Listen to your body. Like I said before, pay attention if you start to feel nauseous, dizzy or overly fatigued. If you do, take a break or consider pushing your workout to the evening or next morning.
- Take frequent breaks. When it’s hot out, you need to take more breaks during your workout. If you do experience symptoms of heat exhaustion, consider shutting it down for the day.
- Move inside if necessary. If it’s too scorching out, consider moving your work out indoors. You might not have access to the same equipment if you have an outdoor gym, but even doing a HIIT workout or using kettlebells indoors might be a decent alternative than trying to power through the heat.
- Wear sunscreen. Heat exhaustion is bad enough–don’t get sunburnt too! Make sure to wear sunscreen any time you work out outdoors.
9 Best Tips for Working Out in the Heat
Now, let’s jump into my top tips for staying motivated and prepared to workout in the hot summer heat!
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Tip 1: Workout early in the morning or later in the evening
I’ll be the first person to admit it. I am not a “morning workout person.” I’d much rather workout around noon after I’ve been awake for a while, had my coffee and lunch, and just feel more alert. But unfortunately, the summer heat makes afternoon workouts basically a non-option.
The hottest hours of the day are usually noon to about 3-4 p.m. Of course, that varies from place to place but the bottom line is the same: For a cooler workout, you’ve gotta get your booty out of bed early.
Work out in the early mornings to avoid the heat of the day and keep your motivation going strong. Nothing kills a workout vibe like a sweltering 90 degrees (or higher) temperature.
But at the same time, if the thought of hitting a workout at 6 a.m. before you have work at 8 a.m. sounds like a nightmare, you can always work out in the evening. Granted, it might still be pretty warm in the evenings, but it’ll be a heck of a lot cooler than working out in the afternoon.
So with that in mind, start building your daily or weekly schedule around what days will be the easiest for you to wake up early and workout, and what days make the most sense to work out in the evening. Find those pockets of cooler weather and take advantage!
Tip 2: Take an ice cold shower before your cardio
I know, I know. The idea of showering before your workout sounds a bit counter-intuitive. Especially for my fellow babes who are trying really really hard to wash our hair a lot less.
But taking an ice cold shower before your workout isn’t only be refreshing, but it’s been shown to improve endurance in your workout. Now, keep in mind that this method–called precooling— is most effective for endurance exercises of up to 30-40 minutes.
Precooling might not really be helpful for short endurance exercises. But, if you plan on working out for at least 30 minutes, the ice cold shower might just be worth it.
Plus, if you’re like me and you really don’t want to wash your hair more than twice a week or so, you can still take the cold shower and simply allow your hair to get wet so it feels refreshing during your workout. No shampoo/conditioner needed. Save that for your post work out wash.
Tip 3: When working out in the heat use ice packs or cooling towels
That feeling when your body is about to completely overheat during your workout is not exactly a mood booster. Keeping an ice pack or a cooling towel with you during your lift might be just the thing to take the edge off and give you some relief.
Cooling towels are great because you just get them wet, wring them out, snap them and ta-da! You’ve got a cold towel to drape over your neck (or even your head) to bring your body temp down a bit.
You can also use ice packs to just dab on your face or chest for some refreshment. Either one will help you keep going through your lift so you can handle the heat a bit easier.
Personally, I think cooling towels are the best option because ice packs will obviously melt eventually. With cooling towels, just get them wet again and they’re right back to being cold!
Tip 4: Use a swimming pool in your workouts
Okay, I totally understand that not everyone has access to a swimming pool, so this particular tip for working out in the heat may or may not help you personally.
But, if you have access to a swimming pool–say a public high school’s pool, a friend, a relative, etc.–then adding it into your workout can be a great way to stay motivated through the summer months.
There are two main ways you can use a swimming pool in your workouts.
Swimming for cardio
The first way is to swim laps in the pool for your cardio. Swimming laps is exhausting, and as someone who was never on a swim team or anything like that, I’m always surprised at how burned out I get just swimming back and forth in a pool.
On hot days when I don’t feel like jumping rope or doing hill sprints is when I like to swim laps in my boyfriend’s grandparents’ swimming pool.
The average amount of calories burned for 30 minutes of swimming with the freestyle stroke is 300 calories. It also tones your stomach, butt and shoulders.
This is such a great option if you want to lose weight, get toned, and stay cool all at the same time.
Swimming for HIIT workouts
If you don’t feel like just swimming laps for half an hour, you can always incorporate swimming laps into your High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts.
For example, you could try this:
- Standing outside the pool, do 15 high knees.
- Jump into the pool, swim to the opposite side and back.
- Get out of the pool and do a 45 second plank.
- Jump back into the pool, swim to the opposite side and back.
- Get out, and do 5 burpees.
- Jump back in, swim there and back again.
- Get out, and do 15 squats.
- Repeat entire cycle 3 times.
This HIIT workout incorporated with swimming laps is a killer ab, booty, and shoulders workout that’s also going to burn a ton of calories. But the best part is, you’ll stay cool while jumping into the water every other exercise.
Tip 5: Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is a super obvious step in working out safely, even if it’s one I continuously struggle with. But, staying hydrated when working out in the heat is extra crucial. If you get dehydrated working out, you could get dizzy, sick, light headed, or even potentially pass out.
To stay hydrated for summer workouts, you should drink at least 20 ounces of water 2 hours before your workout, and drink another 8 ounces before your workout. Plus, don’t forget to take a big drink of water every 15-20 minutes during.
Tip 6: Bring it indoors
When I started my fitness journey back in 2017 or so, I usually worked out indoors at our local gym. Then I moved to San Diego in mid-2018 where I started working out in the outdoor section of my new gym.
Eventually, I transitioned to working out at my boyfriend’s home gym set up in a small outdoor barn. I LOVED it. But, it was definitely an adjustment during the summer months because holy crap, did it get HOT in that little barn.
Though I usually do my workouts outdoors despite the heat, there are days when moving it indoors is just a necessity.
So, if you usually work out outside, it might be a good idea to take a glance at the weather forecast and decide if you should exercise indoors, in the air conditioning.
Or, if you’re like me and your house doesn’t usually run the air conditioning, invest in a cooling fan! This fan is a great option and can be felt up to 32 feet away. Or, if you really want a fan that means business or you’ve got a bigger room, this whole room fan is also a good option.
While you might not have all the same equipment indoors as you would outside, you can always bring some resistance bands into the house and a pair of dumbbells or a kettle bell to get a solid work out in.
Tip 7: Switch to HIIT workouts
Once upon a time, Sav thought she needed a full 60 minutes free to get a good workout. So, she basically never worked out. She just didn’t have time so she stayed lazy and soft all through college.
Okay, I’m done referring to myself in the third person now.
But it’s true, I wouldn’t work out if I didn’t have at least one hour to dedicate to my exercise. Then, I learned about HIIT workouts.
Like I mentioned earlier in this post, HIIT workouts are High Intensity Interval training that only require 15-20 minutes or so. It’s really up to you and how long you want to spend doing the workout.
But that’s what makes HIIT workouts such a great summer workout option! If you have to do your workouts outdoors, then dropping your workout from an hour to a super intense 15 minute workout will get you out of the heat much quicker, while still burning a ton of calories.
Throw some dumbbells into the mix and you’ve got a calorie-burning, muscle-toning workout that doesn’t require you to bake in the sun forever.
So, save yourself 45 minutes and a sunburn, and start utilizing HIIT workouts on the hot days when you don’t want to work out in the early A.M. Or, make HIIT workouts your go-to exercise for all the summer long.
Tip 8: Wear the right clothes
All my black-leggings-to-the-gym-do-or-die gals say heyyyy!
If you live in your black leggings or dark colored yoga pants like I do, then the summer months are the time to say goodbye to them… For now at least.
To stay motivated to workout in the heat, then loose-fitting or light clothing is a must.
For me, a breezy tank top and runners’ shorts or spanx are my go-tos for hot summer work outs.
Or, just workout in a sports bra if that’s more your thing!
Pick out a cute and breathable workout outfit (or go invest in one if you haven’t yet), and let it motivate you to get in an intense summer work out.
And just in case you’re like me and you get a bit self-conscious wearing spanx or shorts in a gym, let me reassure you. You’re a frickin hot tamale and you’re gonna look SO GOOD in those shorts. Just do it, boo.
You’re absolutely beautiful and I don’t need to see you to know that. Women. Are. Gorgeous. And whatever social media and the magazines say is “hot” right now is gonna change next year anyway, so. You might as well wear the cute outfit, show off that booty–big or small–and go kill your workout.
Tip 9: Treat yoself
Have you ever done something you really, really didn’t want to do and then immediately rewarded yourself with something after? Maybe it was a hard day at work, so you and your co-workers went out for drinks after Maybe you had to take a final and then went and got ice cream with your classmates when it was finished.
Feel free to do the same thing with your workouts! If I know I have a super delicious protein shake to drink after working out in the heat–or any weather at all– then I’m more inclined to power through and get ‘er done.
On extra hot days, when the idea of working out just isn’t appealing, decide to celebrate with a little something special after.
Go get an iced coffee, make a delicious protein smoothie, grab a cold pressed juice at Trader Joe’s, or make yourself your favorite meal when you’re done. Giving yourself something to look forward to that you only give yourself after a workout is a great way to stay motivated.
For me, my workout treat might be a protein smoothie with peanut butter, or the bbq chicken protein pizza from this AWESOME local pizza place. (It’s owned by this bad-a chick who basically decided there should be more yummy foods that fulfill protein requirements for people who work out. I highly suggest it if you’re ever in San Diego.)
Using a light treat or reward to motivate you through a hot workout is a great way to make sure you stick to your decision to work out on a given day.
Related fitness posts
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like these other healthy lifestyle posts! 🙂
- 28 Simple Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle
- 5 Home Gym Essentials You Need to Get Strong
- 7 Best Things to do Before Your Workout
Conclusion to Tips to Work Out in the Summer Heat
Alrighty friend, that’s the end of my tips for getting through your summer workouts as cool as possible! Now you know some of the dangers of working out in hot weather, the signs you should be aware of to save yourself from heat exhaustion, and 9 practical tips to keep yourself motivated and ready to work out in the heat.
To refresh your memory, the top tips for working out in the heat are:
- Workout early in the morning or late in the evening
- Take an ice cold shower before cardio
- Use an ice pack or cooling towel
- Use a swimming pool in your workouts
- Stay hydrated
- Bring it indoors
- Switch to HIIT workouts
- Wear the right clothes
- Treat yoself
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Til next time, you hot sweaty tamale!
