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Can I Exercise Safely in the Heat?
August 2006
This summer has had its fair share of hot and humid days. The summer heat and humidity can have an influence on your ability to exercise. Many clients ask me if they can go for a bike ride, jog, or walk without worrying about heat stroke. My answer to their question is yes and no. It depends on your intensity, duration, hydration level, body type, age, and more.
If you plan on going for a casual bike ride, jog, or walk than yes it is safe as long as you don’t go too long. You should monitor how you feel and drink water while outside. If you are going to work out at a high intensity than I would highly suggest you take your workout indoors instead of outside under the blistering summer sun. Exercising at a high intensity in heat can be dangerous and leave you feeling miserable after the workout.
You might be wondering what a safe amount of time to exercise outdoors is. There isn’t a specific amount of time I can give you. The answer is different for everyone and there are a variety of factors that come into play. If you are obese, an older adult, a youth (0-4 years), have poor circulation, heart disease, mental illness, are on prescription drugs or are dehydrated than the time will be different for you than for someone without these conditions. Your body has a harder time cooling itself with these conditions; this leads to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Humidity plays a big role in how long you can exercise outdoors too. Your sweat will not evaporate as quickly which can lead to overheating sooner. This is why you will notice it might be 90º one day with low humidity and you can go for a 30 min walk without a problem. The next day it might be 10 degrees cooler but with high humidity and you can make it only 10 min without feeling good. This is why it is important to listen to your body and not push yourself in hot, humid weather.
If you are adamant about exercising outdoors daily, than my suggestion would be to do it during the early morning or late evening; before the sun comes up or after the sun has gone down. Bring water and don’t be worried about pace and intensity. Carry a cell phone for emergencies and bring along a friend. Most important, be smart and know when to stop by reading your body’s cues.
Please check out the CDC’s website for information on heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and more on heat related illness.