Tips To Staying Cool During Summer Workouts

1. Get the timing right

early morning or late evening is best

2. Stay hydrated

Guidelines recommend consuming 17-20 ounces of water two hours before exercise, 7-10 ounces of fluid every ten minutes during exercise, and 16-24 ounces for every pound of body weight lost after exercise

3. Eat to beat the heat

Avoid spicy foods, which stimulate heat production, also high-protein foods and anything greasy will be harder to digest, thus enhancing internal heat production. Stick with easy to digest foods like fruit, eggs, or yogurt instead!

3. Dress cool

Lightweight, light color, moisture wicking, loose-fitting, and minimal clothing can provide a greater skin surface area for heat dissipation.

3. Take it easy

On crazy-hot days, you may need to change your “go hard or go home” philosophy to “go easy or go inside.” If you’re acclimated to hot weather, then you may be able to tolerate a tough workout in extreme heat, but if you live in an area where three-digit temps make headlines, scale back when a heat wave hits.

3. Notice the warning signs

If you're working out and start to feel crampy, dizzy, or nauseous, stop immediately and start doing damage control. Drink plenty of water and remove any unnecessary clothing. You can also mist your skin with water to bring your body temperature down. 

If your skin is hot but not sweaty, or your pulse feels fast and weak, those are signs of heatstroke. Call 911 and get cool any way that you can until help arrives. Anytime the heat index is over 90 degrees, you’re at risk for heat exhaustion; over 105 degrees, it’s almost a given. So play it safe—if you know you can’t handle the heat, head indoors.