The summer months are very much on the horizon, and you want to stick with your workout routine to feel your best. Here are 5 tips for working out in the heat/ hot weather, so you don't feel like giving up on it altogether.
Between vacations, long weekends, BBQs withe friends and family, and rushing out the door from work to enjoy the longer evening stretches, you're going to find ample opportunity to embrace the summer heat.
You're also going to find ample opportunity to skip your workouts. It's hot, you're overly sweaty, and the sunny outdoors is beckoning you "come hither!" with a glass of perfectly chilled rosé.
As you sit on the cotton canvas cushions of your patio furniture, basking in the evening glow after a long work day after you've finished the last minute packing for your vacation, a sneaky thought starts to set in: I've skipped my workout. Again.
While this concept might not warrant a sense of guilt or self- sabotage for most of us (and if it does, this blog post is not for you), it may warrant that forecasted questioning of "ugh, why is this always SO hard?" When you do decide to step back into your fitness routine after a prolonged break in the summer heat.
Save yourself the hassle, and the uncertainty, with these 5 tips for working out in the heat/ hot weather this summer.
Get it done in the morning
You may not be an early riser, and you may find that your energy levels in the wee hours aren't as high as they would be in the evening after you've completed your work day. However, there is a lot to be said for getting your workout done before the heat of the day comes your way- both in temperature, as well as insistent demands from smallies/ work colleagues alike.
Your morning time is precious (as is your sleep), and so you really can't afford to waste those wee hours. The good news is that there is no need to: in fact, I speak about streamlining workouts to be time- considerate with my 1:1 Empowered Fitness clients and in the Empowered Fitness: Summer Edit.
Schedule it in like you would a doctor's appointment or team meeting
This is my numero uno tip for ANY thing that you are wanting to be more consistent/ hold yourself accountable for. If something is not on your schedule, it is so easy to neglect making your workout happen because you are quicker to allow barriers to hold you back such as; childcare, transit time to/from the gym, staying longer in work to "get more done," and not waking up on time to make it out the door to your training session.
Again, the concept of streamlining time (and also streamlining your training schedule) is something that I take care of with clients in Empowered Fitness because, eventually, you get better at flexibly adjusting your schedule as you deem necessary in order to achieve the happy medium of getting your "me time" in, as well as all of your daily obligations.
Keep the higher intensity work indoors
As the outdoor temperatures heat up, it might be wise to keep your sweat sessions indoors purely from comfort. I've noticed in Ireland, people don't cope well with the heat at all (much love to all of my Irish clients- I know you're all a bit more susceptible to the mercury climbing on the thermometer than most hehe) and the thought of being sweaty as well as uncomfortably warm can be off- putting.
Transitioning your sweatiest sessions to the great indoors can prevent you from heating up to an uncomfortable point, particularly during the hottest points of the day. Plus, you are more likely closer to a water fountain which leads seamlessly to my next point...
Hydrate more than you think
You can't cram in extra hydration during your workout without exposing yourself to the potential for abdominal cramps/ discomfort while you're working out. Staying adequately hydrated actually starts before you intend to work out. One of the signs of dehydration is in fact low energy, and feeling low energy is certainly not the breeding ground for feel- good endorphins that you get from exercising regularly.
Getting the extra fluids in can be hard, but you can make it easier on yourself by utilizing strategies like: carrying a cool water bottle (I'm loving this one at the moment), infusing your water with natural flavouring (I always recommend a lemon and raspberry situation), or try a herbal iced tea.
Make it a social event
Not every workout has to be done solo, and not every workout has to be a high intensity sweat session at that. Enlisting an accountability buddy for a morning or evening walk/ jog, preferably someone in a similar work schedule and family situation as you, increases your chances of getting exercise in and actually enjoying it. It's so much harder to will yourself into a solo gym session on some days when the sun is shining so brilliantly; however, getting out for a sunny stroll and catch up with a friend can feel like the perfect addition to a day that you want to take advantage of.
You can also guarantee that a walk with a friend/ partner is always going to be there- when you're home, when you're on holiday, and everywhere in between.
Still struggling with wrapping your head around working out during the summer months? I know something that can help.
I recently shared a few polls on my Instagram stories, asking followers if you feel like the summer is a good time to focus on yourself, what would help you focus on yourself this summer, and how you wish you could focus on yourself in a perfect world.
The response was overwhelmingly this:
You want a supercharged summer, without having to compromise on the vacations and BBQs.
You see the six week shreds being advertised on your socials and as paid placements on your Google page- you buy into them, but hate the process and don't feel like it's ever been sustainable for you.
You know you "should have" been working on your bikini body up until this point, and it might not have happened and now you're VERY self- conscious in your summer wardrobe.
What if you had the functional fitness programme that would give you the summer strength, confidence, and smarts to stay away from any Six Week Summer Shred...for good?
The Empowered Fitness: Summer Edit is for you if:
You want a sustainable fitness schedule that is filled with workouts that make sense.
You enjoy (and feel like you need the accountability) connecting with like- minded humans who just want to look better and feel better STARTING this summer.
You delight in making delicious food, and want to bring fresh options to work, to the family BBQs, and beyond.
You want to feel empowered with confidence and strength instead of feeling like you're on your own in a programme that feels overly restrictive and just...not it.
With the resources, support, and accountability ready for you, you'd be silly to do another six week shred. This isn't a programme that will hand you a series of workouts and say "go forth and conquer."
This is for you, and your sizzling supercharged summer. We will be starting on June 3rd with limited spaces available (because I believe in training you and supporting you to set you up for long- term success).
If you'd like to join us, comment "I'm in" below and I will make sure to share all the details with you.
Comments