Easy Ways To Stay Safe In The Heat

Easy Ways to Stay Safe in the Heat

BY Steven Moody

Don’t let the summer heat keep you from achieving your training goals. Here’s how to stay safe so that you can keep training through the season.

Training is hard enough, but training in a hot climate is even harder. And for most of us, summer’s heat is unavoidable. Fortunately, there are a couple of simple ways you can make outdoor training a little more bearable and safe when your workouts have to be completed in the heat.

1. Train During the Coolest Times of the Day 

Whilst it may mean an OMG wake-up alarm, training early in the morning (or late in the evening) in the summer months is absolutely worth it. Doing so will limit the strain on your body by avoiding the sun at its hottest. Training your body for early starts is also hugely beneficial come race day when you have no choice in the matter. 

2. Dress for the Heat

Make sure you choose high-quality clothing to train in. Loose-fitting, technical training gear will allow your body to better perform its primary cooling defense: sweating. Tight-fitting clothing, or clothing made from non-breathable materials such as cotton, can actually hamper sweating and should thus be avoided. Remember that light, bright colors work to reflect the sun’s rays, whereas dark colors absorb more heat. Be bright!

3. Plan to Drink and DRINK

Hydration becomes even more important when training in the heat. It not only helps cool down your body’s core temperature but also provides the “fuel” for sweating (see the above section on the importance of sweating!). Make sure you plan for and bring plenty of fluids — including both water and electrolyte-rich drinks — even for short sessions outdoors in the heat. If you’re running and don’t want to carry a bottle of water with you, then map out your route beforehand and drop off your drinks along the way. Essentially, you’re setting up your own little aid stations!

4. Listen to Your Body

Train yourself to listen to your body so that you learn to avoid going too hard in the heat. Early warning signs of heat exhaustion are lightheadedness, no longer sweating, and/or nausea. Know the signs and respect them, which means stopping a session if you are experiencing any of those signs. Don’t try to “push” on through — you may end up losing a lot more than the one session if you do. An easy way to be proactive about this is to keep an eye on your urine before and after a training session. If it’s brightly colored, you’re likely on top of your hydration. But if it’s darker, you need fluids asap.

In the summer months, training in the heat is unavoidable — but it does not have to be dangerous or hold you back from achieving your goals. You just need to take a few small precautions to train a little smarter.

Avatar1502907781 7
About Steven Moody

Steven Moody has starred in the corporate rat race but found that his greatest source of satisfaction came from his 20 years of endurance racing including numerous IRONMAN finishes and world championship qualifications.

Realising this, Steven abandoned his cubicle and moved into full-time coaching. Steven is now Tri Sutto, IRONMAN UNIVERSITY ®, ITU and Training Peaks Level 2 certified. He was awarded Triathlon Ireland Coach of the year in 2017. Browse his pre-built training plans by clicking here, or if you have triathlon queries you can contact him via info@smartendurancesolutions.com

 

View Steven Moody’s Coach Profile

Related Articles