Hot Weather Workout Hacks: 5 Expert Tips to Train Safely & Effectively When Temperatures Soar

As a former British Royal Marine, I never had the option of skipping a workout because of the weather. Consequently, I’ve trained in jungles with 100% humidity, the arid desert of the Middle East, and the icy rain of the Scottish Highlands.

And while I can’t say that exercising in extreme weather was ever fun, it was certainly character-building and taught me a lot about discipline and determination.

A few years after leaving the Marines, I moved to Cyprus—an island country in the Mediterranean. Boasting over 300 days of sunshine a year, temperatures can soar to 40 degrees Celsius/105 degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfect for a day on the beach, but less ideal for a workout.

Despite this, and probably because of my former military career, I’ve never let extreme heat stop me from exercising. However, there are several strategies I use that help to keep my—mostly outdoor—workouts manageable, safe, and effective despite the heat.

In this article, I’ll share five practical tips for staying fit and healthy through the hottest months of the year.

Warning Signs: Know When to Stop

At the risk of sounding dramatic, extreme heat—especially when combined with intense exercise—can be a killer. Severe dehydration and hyperthermia—when your body overheats and can’t cool itself properly—can come on quickly and unexpectedly, and what started as an enjoyable workout in the sun can soon become a matter of survival.

Left unchecked, excessive heat exposure can lead to heat exhaustion, or worse—full-blown heat stroke, hyperthermia, and a medical emergency resulting in permanent organ damage or even death.

But that’s the point of the tips I’ll be sharing with you in this article—they’re designed to help you train effectively without compromising your health.

Consequently, before I reveal my five hot weather workout hacks, let’s take a look at the most common signs that the heat is getting the better of you. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop exercising immediately, get out of the heat, and cool down fast using shade, fluids, cold water, and, if needed, emergency medical help.

Signs and symptoms of heat stroke and severe overheating include (1):

• Severe thirst
• Headache or dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Shivering/feeling cold despite the high temperature
• Muscle cramps or weakness
• Significant deterioration of exercise performance
• Rapid heartbeat and breathing
• Flushed, hot, and dry skin (lack of sweating is a red flag)
• Confusion, agitation, or disorientation
• Loss of coordination
• Fainting or collapse

Don’t try to push through these signs. No personal record or training plan is worth risking your health. Heat-related illness is preventable—if you know the warning signs and act fast.

I’ve seen first-hand how quickly heat exhaustion can hit, and the aftermath is not pretty. That said, while high temperatures deserve your respect, you don’t necessarily need to fear them. In many cases, you should be able to maintain your fitness routine—you’ll just need to make a few allowances and adjustments.  

Beat the Heat: 5 Smart Training Hacks for Hot Weather Workouts

As an avid exerciser and veteran personal trainer, I often find myself training—either myself or my clients—as the thermometer reading rises above 30 or even 40 degrees Celsius (85 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit).  

After all, if I only exercised when it was cool, my workouts would be limited to November to March! But rather than let extreme temperatures derail my training schedule, I use the following strategies to ensure my workouts remain safe and effective despite the heat.

1. Train Early or Late

As Noel Coward famously wrote, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.” While Britain is known for its cold and wet weather, during the days of the Empire, the British Army often operated in much hotter climates, including India and Africa.

It was observed that, unlike the locals who sought shelter during the heat of the day, the British pushed on with their duties—giving rise to this memorable expression.

Needless to say, one of the best ways to beat the heat is to avoid it as much as possible, and that means exercising earlier or later in the day to avoid peak temperatures—typically between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Early mornings are usually the coolest, as the sun has yet to rise and start beating down. Evenings can work too, but residual heat from earlier in the day means that it can still be quite hot, even after the sun has set.

While changing the time of your workouts is not always convenient, it is arguably the best strategy for avoiding the heat.

Try getting up earlier and working out before breakfast—while you might miss your bed, you won’t miss the exhausting heat that accompanies working out later in the day. Alternatively, exercising at night means you can avoid direct sunlight, although don’t train too late or it may disrupt your sleep.

2. Hydrate Before, During, And After Exercise

Your body is made up of about 60% water (2). It’s in your blood, your muscles, and even in your bones. Uses for water include the transport of chemicals and nutrients, lubrication, and most obviously in warm weather, temperature regulation.

As your body heats up, it releases water in the form of perspiration, which evaporates from your skin, taking heat with it. You also lose water when you exhale. As heat tends to increase your breathing rate as well as your core temperature, you can expect to lose a lot of water during a warm weather workout.  

How much?

Exercising during the heat of the day means you could lose as much as three liters or 100 fluid ounces per hour.

Therefore, it’s easy to see how you could end your workout suffering from dehydration, especially if you aren’t adequately hydrated when you start and don’t drink enough fluids while you train.

With all that in mind, you should:

• “Camel up” as we used to say in the Marines. Drink plenty of hydrating fluids in the hours leading up to your workout.
• Sip cool water from the start of your workout to the end. Carry water with you if you are running or cycling, or keep it close by during strength workouts, sipping between sets.
• Monitor your perspiration rate during your workout. If you notice you are starting to sweat less, or even stop perspiring altogether, you are probably becoming dangerously dehydrated. Rehydrate after exercise to replace lost fluids. Consume one pint per pound of body weight lost.
• Consume electrolyte minerals to optimize your fluid balance. Plain water is not always enough, especially for optimizing workout performance.

Related: 7 Ways to Tell If You’re Hydrated Enough or at Risk of Dehydration

3. Dress Appropriately

As the temperature rises, it may be tempting to peel off the layers and train without a shirt. After all, why not get your tan AND your pump on at the same time? However, going shirtless is not always the best—or safest—choice.

Your clothing provides a high SPF barrier between your skin and the sun, offering valuable protection from sunburn, and potentially reducing your risk of skin cancer. And while even a lightweight, loose-fitting shirt may feel hotter at first, it can help prevent overheating in the long run—especially if it’s made from the right material.

The best warm-weather training fabrics are breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying. Examples include technical polyester blends or merino wool. These materials allow sweat to evaporate more easily, which helps keep you cool. Avoid cotton and other absorbent fabrics as they tend to soak up sweat, cling uncomfortably to your body, and trap heat.

You can also use your clothing as part of your cooling strategy. Soaking your shirt in cold water before heading out to train is a great way to reduce your temperature before you even begin. You can repeat the process mid-workout if you pass a fountain or carry spare water.

Finally, don’t underestimate the comfort and protection you can get from a wide-brimmed hat or peaked cap. Keeping the sun off your face and neck can make even the fiercest temperatures more tolerable. Plus, the hatband will help stop sweat from running into your eyes—painful at the best of times, but so much worse when you add sunscreen to the mix!

4. Adjust The Intensity and Duration of Your Workouts

Some people cope with hot weather better than others. While individual temperature tolerances vary, the truth is that most people can learn to adapt to exercise in the heat, although such transformations often take time and patience.

That’s why professional and elite athletes often spend weeks—even months—acclimating before important events in warm climates. I once knew a professional squash player who put his stationary bike in a sauna to prepare for a series of matches in Pakistan. He swore it made all the difference to his heat tolerance and stamina.

You don’t need to be a pro to benefit from this approach.

As the weather heats up, resist the urge to power through your usual training regimen and high-intensity workouts. Instead, dial back the duration and difficulty to give yourself time to adapt to the warmer weather.

These easier sessions are not a waste of time as, at the very least, they’ll maintain your current fitness. However, you should find that your body will learn to cope with the demands of training in the heat, and you’ll soon be back to firing on all cylinders. Plus, imagine how much easier your workouts will feel when summer ends and fall rolls in!

5. Get Out of The Heat If Necessary

While doggedness, determination, and stubbornness are usually admirable and valuable characteristics for exercisers, when temperatures soar, they can also be a liability. Sometimes, the smartest thing to do is get out of the sun and find a cooler way to work out. This is not a defeat but a tactical withdrawal that ensures you survive to fight another day.

So, if the heat feels unbearable, don’t try to tough it out. Instead, look for smarter alternatives.

For example, you could do your workout in the shade instead of direct sunlight, hit an air-conditioned gym, or switch to a workout that naturally keeps you cool—like swimming or deep-water running.

These aren’t compromises; they’re sensible adjustments that allow you to keep training safely without risking your health. In the end, there’s no shame in retreating from a battle you can’t win. Sometimes, discretion really is the better part of valor.

Related: The Summer Beach Workout to Get You Jacked

Closing Thoughts

Most people love the summer and the warm weather it brings. After all, what’s better than spending time at the beach, by the lake, or even just sitting at a pavement café watching the world go by? Sunshine, in moderation, is good for your physical and mental health, plus it promotes vitamin D production.

On the downside, exercising during the heat of the day can make an already hard undertaking even harder. You’ll sweat more, fatigue faster, and there is a real risk to your health.

The good news is that, in most cases, you can still have safe, enjoyable, effective workouts as the temperatures soar. You’ll just need to make a few modifications to your workouts to minimize the risks of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

I’ve been working out in the high temperatures of Cyprus for about 20 years. And while there have been times when I’ve had to cut my workouts short, I’ve never skipped one because of the temperature.

Use the strategies outlined in this article to keep your training on track this summer. They work for me, and I know they’ll work for you, too.

Related: Truth or Myth: Does Sweating REALLY Help You Lose Weight?

References:

1 – Shaheen NA, Alqahtani AA, Assiri H, Alkhodair R, Hussein MA. Public knowledge of dehydration and fluid intake practices: variation by participants’ characteristics. BMC Public Health. 2018 Dec 5;18(1):1346. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-6252-5. PMID: 30518346; PMCID: PMC6282244.

2 – Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutr Rev. 2010 Aug;68(8):439-58. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x. PMID: 20646222; PMCID: PMC2908954.

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