W L FITNESS
THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISING IN HEAT
By Charlotte Forde
After experiencing the recent heatwave , many of my personal clients didn ’ t want to exercise due to the discomfort of the heat . It got me thinking about the benefits of acclimating ; as many people may have heard about the benefits of group exercise classes such as Hot Yoga , or will use a Sauna as part of their regular routine or even exercise on holiday therefore why would we stop exercising when it ’ s hot in the UK ( although the high temperature is normally very short lived ).
Certain studies have found that training in heat can improve aerobic exercise performance . Heat acclimation can be effective if done correctly and in addition to increased RPE ( rate of perceived exertion is a way of measuring your physical activity intensity level ), you can also increase your blood plasma volume which will increase cardiovascular fitness ; reduce overall core temperature , reduce blood lactate , increase skeletal muscle force and also make a person train better in cooler temperatures .
• Lower your resting body temperature ; The body will normally produce a large amount of heat to keep warm but heat training causes it to adapt at a higher temperature and produce less heat .
• Increase sweat rate ; you will naturally sweat more when training in a heated environment and often a lot earlier than normal therefore the body will cool itself rather than waiting until it starts to become too hot .
• Increase in blood plasma ; this helps the blood transport nutrients through the body and can help the body cool itself , it also protects the body against the dangers of dehydration . The lungs strengthen , in particular the left ventricle , improving its output so your heart pumps more blood at a faster rate .
There are different ways you can adapt to heat training . The most safe and effective way is incremental progressions by working out in the heat a little bit each session and eventually your body will dissipate heat more effectively however when acclimating to heat , you may be forced to compromise your training quality .
First you need to choose the method of heat training that will minimize the impact on your training , this could be in a sauna , exercising in heat or wearing additional clothes . If you want to start by using a dry sauna , try it straight after exercise and drink less than normal so that you become slightly dehydrated . By doing it this way it will not impact your training as much as exercising in the heat but the effects will still be positive . Ensure that you rehydrate straight after your session or if you start to feel faint or light-headed . Another effective way to introduce heat training is moderately in just some of your workouts starting with lower intensity workouts however do not use this as part of your recovery as despite your session being low in intensity the heat will add additional stress to the body .
As with any changes to a fitness regime or if it has been a while since you have exercised and / or you have health issues or concerns , please consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine .
If you would like a personalised exercise programme email train @ ellavatefitness . com to book in for your free consultation by quoting code WIRRALLIFE .
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