How do you exercise in hot weather?

Our favourite answer to summer heat is the Italian one: do things early, do things late, and spend the middle of the day in the shade with something cold. The same approach works for running, cycling and anything else that makes you sweat. Heat is not something to tough out. It is something to plan around.

Timing

• Go early. Dawn is the best part of a summer day anyway: cooler air, low light, empty streets, the smell of the bakery opening.
• Or go late. After sunset, once the pavements have stopped radiating, can be lovely too.
• Avoid the middle of the day. The NHS advises staying in the shade particularly between 11am and 3pm in hot weather. That is a fine window for lunch and a nap.

Shade and route

• Pick shaded routes: tree-lined avenues, park paths, forest trails, the shady side of the street.
• Follow water. A river path or a lakeshore can feel cooler, and it gives you somewhere to dip a cap or your feet.
• Short loops near home mean you can stop at any point without a long walk back in the sun.
• Move indoors if you have the option: a pool, an air-conditioned studio or gym.
• Swim instead. On the hottest days, a swim is the most elegant answer of all.

Water

The NHS advises drinking extra fluids in hot weather and avoiding alcohol and caffeinated or hot drinks. Practically:

• Drink before you go out, and carry water for anything but the shortest outing.
• Plan refills: fountains, cafés, a friend's balcony.
• Have a cold drink waiting at home for when you get back.

Dress for it

Light, loose, light-coloured clothes. A cap or visor, sunglasses and sunscreen. The NHS also recommends a hat and light clothing outdoors in hot weather. Leave the dark, tight kit for autumn.

Slow down, a lot

Expect everything to feel harder than usual. The kindest thing you can do is adjust expectations: go slower, go shorter, walk the hills, stop in the shade, and forget about pace altogether. A hot-weather run is a different sport from a cool-weather run, and comparing the two only makes you grumpy. In a heatwave, the NHS advice is to avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. On those days, a gentle swim, a shady stroll, or a full rest day are all excellent choices.

Know when to stop

The NHS lists signs of heat exhaustion that include tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick, heavy sweating with pale clammy skin, cramps, a raised temperature, and intense thirst. If you notice any of these, stop. The NHS advice is to move somewhere cool, remove unnecessary layers, drink water, and cool the skin with water and fanning. If someone is not feeling better after about 30 minutes, or shows signs of heatstroke such as hot skin that is not sweating, a dangerously raised temperature, a seizure or loss of consciousness, the NHS says this is an emergency: in the UK call 999, elsewhere the local emergency number.

If you have a medical condition or take regular medication, it is worth asking your doctor about exercising in the heat.