Summer has just arrived and is setting up camp in the city. Dawn arrives earlier than usual, and soon segues into warm mornings, sweltering afternoons and muggy evenings. Your appetite dulls, the air-conditioning bills mount, you shed layers of clothing and prefer vegetating at home with a cold beer and movie over the weekend instead of braving the oppressive heat outside.
But summer is also the perfect time to air out those slinky swimsuits, skimpy shorts, crop-tops and pretty little dresses, so don’t let your workout routine take a backseat this summer.
“Working out in summer is hard, I know. But you need to just get through it as it’s good for you,” says Jyotsna John of The Unit. “It is better to work out early before the heat becomes a problem, but you don’t really have to change the way you exercise. Just accept that you can’t always do it as hard as you like,” she says.
Ravindranath Rao, a fitness junkie who works in a Chennai-based IT company agrees, “I exercise at a fairly high intensity usually, but in summer my performance inevitably gets affected. I end up having to reduce the amount of weights I lift or decrease the number of repetitions.”
According to Pooja Bhatia Arora, the founder of FitMermaids, a Bangalore-based aqua aerobics class, “The most important thing about working out in summer is taking care of hydration,” she says. “According to the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, you need to drink at least 16 oz of water for every pound of body weight lost post-exercise. Ensure that you keep sipping water all through your session,” she says.
“I have started carrying an electrolyte with me and sip that all through my workout,” adds Ravindranath. “Coconut water or salted lime juice is also a good option to replenish fluid lost during exercise. There are some great phone apps now that help you keep a tab on that.”
“For someone working indoors, not too many changes are required as they are anyway working in a temperature-controlled environment. But if you are working outdoors, try to head out a little earlier and ensure that you cover your head with a cap and use sunscreen,” adds Pooja, “Also, summer is a great season to exercise inwater. Since it is cooling, you don’t get drained out that easily in water. Plus, it is great on your joints.”
Ravi Kumar, a management professional who loves running, agrees, “In summer I reduce running and do more swimming. I also reduce spicy food and eat a lot of foods with cooling properties and liquids,” he adds. “We all want to eat less and drink more in summer. It is best to opt for fresh juices, fruit with high water content, coconut water and buttermilk,” says Jyotsna.
Pooja concurs, “Cooling, light meals with plenty of citrus fruits and fresh vegetables are the best. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates and try to avoid heat-producing items like red-meats, nuts and deep-fried foods. Another thing I really like consuming in summer is green juice made with vegetables like cucumber and spinach — it really cools you down after a hot sweaty workout.”
“I used to get a migraine after I worked out because of the heat,” confesses Ravindranath. “Now I simply have a cold shower immediately after I finish; it really helps me feel better.” “Yes you need to take a few precautions during summer but you don’t have to stop working out. Just modify your workout a little, leave a bit earlier, cross-train in water and drink plenty of it and you will be fine,” says Pooja. “Listen to your body — that is important. You need to challenge not torture it — in summer or otherwise.”
