Infinite Cycle master trainer Angharad (Harri) Saynor on how to deal when the mercury peaks.
You know that feeling when it’s an absolute stinker outside and you’re gearing up for what you know will be a painfully sweaty hour of your life? Yep, it’s a no from us too.
However, we can’t just give up on the workout because of the climate we live in – otherwise we wouldn’t be able to work out for more than half the year – so we need to find ways to cope.
Speaking on Body+Soul’s daily podcast Healthy-ish, Infinite Cycle master trainer Angharad (Harri) Saynor shares her tactics for dealing with the summer heat without compromising on your workout.
These are her tips.
1. Timing is everything
“I think the time of day you do it is pretty important, especially as we are embarking on those summer months,” Saynor explains. “I think training early in the morning, or if mornings aren’t your thing, then getting it done in the evenings when the temperature drops slightly.”
She also recommends training indoors.
“I know everyone wants to make the most of the sun, but there are so many amazing fitness studios around Australia which have air con pumping, and I just think getting your 45 minutes to an hour on an air con is going to be a lot more enjoyable.”
2. Hydration stations
“I think training in more extreme temperatures is always going to have an impact on your body. I think hydration is such a key part of that and hydrating in the correct way. So getting those electrolytes in, keeping your energy up, keeping your sugar levels and carbs up is just going to be so beneficial to stop your body sort of going into that panic mode,” she says.
She adds that by the time you feel thirsty your body is already dehydrated, so it’s important to keep an eye on these cues. If you don’t like drinking throughout the workout, make sure you are hydrated before your workout and consume water within the first 30 minutes after exercising.
3. Beating the overwhelm
There may be moments during your sweat session where you feel completely overwhelmed, exhausted and like you can’t go on. Saynor says that there are things you can do the ease the stress on the body.
“I feel like people don’t talk about this very often, but get a towel that is that one of those microfibre towels where you can just clean your face off because I think sweating is totally natural and normal and it’s great for your body, but sometimes – especially when it’s on your face…it will reset your mindset again. If you can just wipe that all off and then recharge to go again and just dialling back slightly as well.”
Essentially, give yourself permission to stop. Take a breath and recalibrate, rather than pushing through.
4. Mustering your motivation
Sometimes the thought of sweating on a hot day is the last thing you feel like doing, so how do you re-motivate yourself to keep going?
“I’m such a sucker for a plan and a schedule. I think if you’ve got it in your calendar, you’ve committed to it,” says Saynor.
This is particularly the case for classes you’ve booked and paid for, because you’re much more likely to honour those commitments once you’ve booked it.
Her other tip is rewards.
“Rewards are a big thing for me. I rarely buy ‘fancy coffees’ outside, [by that] I mean, just not from my instant coffee maker,” she says. “I’m not an outside coffee gal, but if I work out in the mornings, my reward to myself is to go and get a fancy coffee like that.”
5. The ideal ‘fit
Finally, how do you dress for a hot day of working out?
“I’m very minimal. I’m not telling everyone that I should be walking out in a bikini, but definitely like less is more. And if you don’t feel comfortable with that, then loose fitting things,” she says.
If you’re working out outside, go for longer, lighter clothing so that you don’t have to cover yourself in sunscreen (which can affect your sweat evaporation levels).
So – “long if you’re outside and light and little if you’re inside.”
Find out more about Angharad via Instagram @angharad.saynor, or for info on Infinite Cycle, click here.
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