Running in Hot Weather

Summer is a great time for training, however what do you do wen heat advisories hit and you are facing 100 plus degree weather. You can still safely exercise outdoors if you follow a few precautions. Here are some great tips to assist keeping you safe during the hot temperatures.

First thing to do is to your best to run or bike during early morning or late evening hours. This is to help reduce the amount of heat your are exposed to. Morning hours are generally the coolest part of the day, if you want to get some outdoor exercise consider getting up earlier in the morning to take your run. When running early or late make sure to wear bright reflective clothing to help keep you visible to motorists. You can also purchase a clip on red strobe light.

Another thing you could do is considered changing the exercise you are doing. For example, though running is a great way to exercise, swimming can be a great substitute in very warm weather. For those who have not done a lot of swimming, open water swimming can be a bit difficult. If you want to help your workout in the pool you can pick up some extras like flippers, hand paddles, and kickboards.

Staying hydrated is the absolutely most important thing you can do. Hot weather sucks the water right from you, even just breathing. Make sure you carry a water bottle with you. A number of jogging and biking shirts allow you to hold extra bottles of water in the shirt itself. If you prefer to have ice-cold water this is also a possibility as there are a number of bottles available now that can facilitate this. Make sure to avoid all sugary drinks.