It’s been an incredible start to spring and, in fact, the driest beginning to spring since 1956 – which is certainly welcome after a long and dreary winter, but because it has been so warm and sunny, it’s vital that you all take extra care when exercising outside in the sunshine.
No matter what the weather’s doing, exercise makes your core body temperature rise. When exercising in the heat, your body will need to work even harder to send blood to the skin to help keep you cool. You’ll also sweat more as your body works to cool you down, so you’ve got to replace lost fluids more regularly than you would perhaps have to in colder weather.
It’s also possible that hot weather can exacerbate soft tissue injuries such as sprains and strains, and increase recovery times, with the heat affecting how your body provides oxygen and nutrients to the injured areas. Heat also causes inflammation, which can lead to dilation of blood vessels, increased pain and swelling.
So how do you best go about exercising safely in the sunshine? Here are just three top tips from the Clear Physio team.
Change the time of day
Exercising early in the day or late in the afternoon/evening means you can take full advantage of lower temperatures, making it easier for you to train at your best.
Reduce exercise duration
Even if you get a lot of exercise on a regular basis, your body will have to work harder in hotter weather, so you may tire out more quickly. Reduce the amount of time you train to help yourself stay on top form.
Adjust exercise intensity
Making changes to exercise intensity can help you navigate the hotter weather successfully. This could be doing fewer sets and reps, going for a walk rather than a run or making sure that you take as many breaks in the shade as you need.
