YOUR WORKOUTS
WORK HARDER
There are big benefits to exercis-
ing in the heat. You’ll sweat a ton,
but that improves your body’s
ability to regulate its tempera-
ture, says José González-Alonso,
Ph.D., a professor of exercise
and cardiovascular physiology
at Brunel University London. Hot
workouts may increase the vol-
ume of plasma—a solution that
transports nutrients throughout
the body—in your blood. The
more plasma you have, the bet-
ter your cardiovascular fitness. In
addition, your skeletal muscles
work harder as you get used to
exercising in the heat, which
is an indication of the body’s
capacity to adapt to stressful
environmental and exercise con-
ditions, González-Alonso says.
Heat also makes you more
flexible, which may reduce
your risk of injury, says Shape
Brain Trust member Michele
Olson, Ph.D., a sport scientist.
That said, your performance
will likely suffer for the first three
to four workouts when the tem-
perature is at least 82 degrees.
But it can be restored to nor-
mal after around 10 sessions,
González-Alonso says. During
that period, keep your warm-ups
and workouts lighter and shorter
than usual, drink plenty of water,
and quit if you experience dizzi-
ness, rapid heart rate, or trouble
breathing, all of which are signs
of heat exhaustion, Olson says.
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