As soon as a heatwave arrives, you might notice a slump in your energy levels and motivation to stick to a regular workout routine.

Our performance can be significantly impacted by high temperatures, and many of us can feel drained or struggle to find inspiration to exercise.

However, if you’re looking to maintain consistency, here are five mistakes to avoid when exercising in the heat, alongside practical tips on how to prepare safely for your next summer workout.

1. Going too hard, too soon

Some people might benefit from adjusting the intensity and volume of their workouts during periods of hot weather.

“Don’t assume that you can necessarily perform at exactly the same level as if the temperature was 10-15 degrees lower, so try to avoid starting too hard,” says personal trainer Luis Tibbles, co-owner at Tibbs Fitness and head coach at FLATOUT.

“Give yourself the opportunity to allow your heart rate to gradually increase rather than jumping straight into something quite intense.”

2. Exercising during peak mid-afternoon heat

“For many people living in the UK, when we do experience a heatwave of between 30 and 35 degrees, you might want to avoid working out in the middle part of the day where we see the hottest temperatures,” says Tibbles.

“Instead, you might benefit from training first thing in the morning or waiting until later in the evening when temperatures have cooled down.

“If you are planning to train early in the morning, it’s really important to make sure that you do a lot of hydration and fuelling the day before, and it would also be beneficial to give yourself some time in the morning to get some fluids onboard.”

However, the head coach recognises that some people are less affected by the midday heat than others.

“Some people cope very well with higher temperatures and have a level of tolerance and acclimatisation to it,” says Tibbles. “For example, people that live in hotter climates all year-round would probably find working out in the middle of the day fine.”

3. Only drinking water during your workouts

“If you’re only hydrating during the workout, it’s almost too late because it’s likely that the body will already be dehydrated,” says Tibbles.

“Therefore, during these hotter months, try to stay on top of your hydration levels 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because you want to make sure that your electrolyte stores are full and are not depleted going into training.

“I would recommend drinking at least around two to four litres of water per day and for those that do sweat excessively and are training for longer durations use electrolytes as well.”

4. Eating before you get the chance to cool down

“If you’ve just done a 90-minute run outside in 30 degrees heat, for example, give your body a bit of time to start to cool down and let your heart rate start to drop a little bit, and then you can start to get more fluids on board,” advises the head coach.

“Once the body feels back to a more regulated temperature, then look at getting some food on board.”

5. Ignoring warning signs

“If you’re experiencing an unusual amount of dizziness or start to feel nauseous, sick or faint, that would be an immediate sign to slow down and stop exercising,” recommends Tibbles. “Sit down and try and let the body recover.

“Similarly, if you feel like you are overheating massively and are sweating excessively and are unable to replenish through hydration, don’t ignore that.”

To conclude:

Tibbles highlights that some people cope better in higher temperatures than others, so stresses the importance of listening to your body and finding out what works best for you.

“Some people aren’t affected as much and might be able to continue to progress in the hotter months, but for others it might be more of a phase of maintenance and reducing intensity and reducing their progression a little bit during the higher temperatures,” says the head coach.

“The most important thing is to stay relatively consistent and to understand your body, manage your body better, and to try to learn more about yourself.”