Tips for Warm Weather Exercise

Whether you’re tuning in from our hometown in Southern California or pooling in pit stains elsewhere, one thing remains certain…the summer sun is in our midst, and she is out for sweat. Time to towel off and make sure you’re heading into this season safely and successfully. Here are some top-level tips for warm (or—let’s be real—obnoxiously hot) exercise:

Pour up, drank!
In the wise words of Kendrick Lamar, “sit down, drank…stand up, drank.” During heatwaves, your body sweats extra to keep you cool. Repay the favor by replenishing it with good ol’ fashioned H20.

You should drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water throughout the day. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, you’ll need 70 ounces of water or almost nine 8-ounce glasses to keep you hydrated.

In addition, take water breaks every 20 minutes during exercise to maintain your hydration levels. Once your workout is complete, ensure you recover properly by mixing the Post Sweat electrolyte formula into your blender bottle so you’ll be ready to take on tomorrow’s lift or run in stride—after a nice cold shower, of course.

Time it right.
We all love a good mid-day jaunt—but during these summer months, consider scheduling your workouts for early morning or late evening. The sun is strongest between 10am and 3pm, so there’s no use trying to fight it then.

Instead, get your sweat in as soon as you wake up or after dinner. This way, your body can focus on getting you up that hill, rather than just keeping you cool. Regardless, always remember to slap on some sweat-resistant sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun’s robust UV rays.

Know the signs.
We all want to push ourselves, but during times of heat—it’s important to know when we’re surpassing the push zone and entering the danger zone. According to the Red Cross, heat cramps are muscle spasms or pain caused by a large loss of salt and water in the body. Heat exhaustion—whose signs include heavy sweating, clammy skin, nausea, dizziness, etc.— is another severe heat-related illness to remain wary of.

Remember that you know your body best. Recover when it tells you to, push only when you can. Check in with yourself and know that a second off your split time isn’t worth fainting on the last lap.

Consider moving indoors.
Sure—we’re all a bit tired of being indoors after a year-long quarantine, but the AC is your friend when it’s 100 degrees out. You can still get a major workout in using minimal equipment (check out our workout essentials bundle for inspiration), and you can always venture outdoors after you exercise.

This summer will be unlike any other as we return to the gym, hug our workout buddies, and show gratitude for being able to sweat outside our homes. Use these tips to stay cool and enjoy every drop.

This article was written by Melissa Pelowski. Interested in writing for us too? Email your pitch to submissions@sportsresearch.com for consideration.