10 Tips

For staying cool during exercise this summer

Trudi's TEN for Older Adults
Summer is a beautiful time to be out and about, enjoying all that fresh air and sunshine. But when the temperature really starts to rise it can be hard to find the energy to exercise, or the right time, or the right workout. So whether you are heading outside, or staying in front of the air-conditioning, here are my top ten tips for staying fit and active this summer, without overheating.


1. Start early
We all know that the early bird catches the worm - but they also catch the best part of the day for a workout. The sun is hottest and brightest between 10am and 4pm, so try and schedule your exercise before or after this time. The house is coolest in the morning, so choose a room away from the morning sun and pull the shades down. If you are heading outside in the late afternoon or evening, remember that concrete footpaths and roads will still hold the heat of the day, so if you can, find a trail or walk on the grass to avoid absorbing that heat through your shoes.

2. Don’t forget to slip, slop, slap ... and seek and slide!
If you’re heading outside, it’s important to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun. If the sun is up, regardless of what time it is, follow these tips to stay cool and avoid sunburn when you’re outdoors.
SLIP - Wear lightweight, light-coloured, and loose clothing that covers your neck and shoulders. Darker colours attract the sun’s heat, so always wear light bright colours. SLOP - Wear sunscreen on your face, back of the hands, back of the neck, and other exposed areas - even if you are heading out early. Make sure it’s a good quality brand, it isn’t past the expiry date, and it’s UVA/UVB. Reapply every two hours, especially if you’re working up a sweat.
SLAP - Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face and neck.
SEEK - Does one side of the road have more shade than the other? Is there a park nearby with tall trees that will keep you protected? Or is there a patch of your backyard that stays in the shade throughout the day? Seek the shade wherever possible.
SLIDE - Even if you are in the shade, and wearing a hat, and it’s early morning, it’s still critical to protect the eyes by sliding on a pair of sunglasses. Harmful rays can reflect off the concrete, sand, cars and buildings, so keep the eyes covered. It also stops you squinting, which is a great way to reduce the wrinkles around your eyes!

3. Drink, drink, drink - but water only!
We all know how important it is to keep up our water intake, and it is especially critical during summer. Make sure you start drinking well before your workout, and even the night before, so the body is hydrated before you even start. Keep drinking small amounts during your workout, and then again when you’ve finished your exercise. Monitor how you are feeling, and if you’re thirsty keep drinking a little extra water throughout the day. If it’s humid weather, it’s even more important to keep up your water intake because the humidity makes it harder for your sweat to evaporate, and harder for the body to cool down. Keep away from sports drinks, caffeine, and sugary drinks - water is the cleanest and the best.

4. But don’t drink too much!
Would you believe that you can drink too much water? Hyponatremia can be the result of having too much water that dilutes your system, resulting in dangerously low blood sodium levels. Don’t feel like you need to be drinking a litre of water every hour every day! The colour of your urine is a good indicator - if it’s clear you might be drinking too much, if it looks like apple juice you need to drink a little more.

5. Listen to your body
If your body is feeling tired, or you feel lightheaded and dizzy, or you just feel a little off, take a break. While there may be a time and place to ‘push through’ to get a good workout, during the summer heat is not the time. If you’re feeling hot and bothered, are nauseous or experiencing cramps or headache, or if you feel your heart starting to beat faster, then have a rest, grab a drink, and place a cool towel on the back of the neck to bring your body temperature down.
If you're wanting to avoid the heat and exercise inside, why not try a workout from our range of DVDs?

Choose from high intensity, seated, mobility, cardio, strength and low intensity exercises, across our Agility, Mobility Masters, and Mobility Freestyle DVD ranges!
Home workout DVDs
6. Change up your workout
If you usually do a high intensity HIIT workout, but it’s currently 30°C in your living room, why not try a balance workout, or relaxing stretches on the floor, or a seated workout? If you usually do an hour long walk outside, try breaking it up and do half an hour outside and then come in for a weights workout to keep the heart rate down. While winter is a great time for a high intensity cardio workout to get the body warm, summer is a great time to build up your muscles with lower intensity strength workouts, or a balance training program that will continue to build muscles and fitness without elevating the heart rate as much. Instead of doing an hour long low-intensity workout, try something different and go hard with a shorter high intensity workout, and work harder for a shorter period of time, so you can jump into that cold shower sooner!

7. Take a break, or break it up
If it’s feeling like a bit of a struggle to get through a full workout In the summertime (or any time of the year really!), why not split it up into two manageable bites? You can do your cardio in the early morning, then your resistance and core work at night. Or go for your walk in the cool of the evening, and start your day with gentle stretches and balance exercises. You can also take a break during your workout - you might do 10 minutes of full intensity exercise, then take a five minute break to cool down, and keep repeating until you make it through your workout.

8. Check the weather forecast
Have a look at when will be the hottest part of the day so you can make sure to avoid it. Check to see if there are any heat advisory warnings too that indicate dangerous ozone levels or high pollution. If you see these warnings, bring your workout inside and avoid breathing in those harmful pollutants.

9. Know the signs of heatstroke
Make sure you are aware of the signs and symptoms of heat stroke, so that you can recognise when it might be happening to you or a friend. Heat stroke, when the body temperature rises about 40°C, is dangerous and can be life-threatening, so keep an eye out for these warning signs - and if you see them, call an ambulance:
• Hot, flushed, reddy skin and an absence of sweating
• Rapid pulse and difficulty breathing
• Unusual behaviour, including hallucinations, disorientation
• Confusion or agitation
• Seizures.

10. Exercise with a friend
We often tire easily in the hot weather, so getting motivated can be the hardest part of your workout - why not rope in a friend so you can keep each other accountable? If you’ve got a neighbour or friend nearby, meet up and go for a walk in the early morning or after dinner when it cools down. Or give each other a call in the morning and decide what online or DVD workout you’re going to do together. When you’re feeling flat, let them know so they can encourage you - and you can do the same for them when you see their arms are dropping or they’re looking tired!