This has been my latest string in excuses not to work out. Before that I was too busy studying for my GMAT exam, before that blah blah blah. It's so easy to make excuses and so hard to follow through! With temps up to 100 this week I think I'm going to have to start working out first thing in the morning before work. No real point to this post, just thought I should declare my intention and admit to my excuses.
If you don't have AC a strong fan does wonders.... cooling effects of evaporation and all of that. Walking in an indoor space like a mall could be an option too.
Yeah--morning is the only time I can go consistently and makes it harder for me to make excuses to not go. As soon as the alarm rings, I make it a habit to just jump out of bed and go. For awhile, I even went to bed wearing my workout clothes to make it even easier on myself.
This is an excuse that can be EASILY eliminated with a little bit of creativity.
I live in CA's central valley. My AC can't keep up with the heat, no matter where I set it - last week it was well over 100. But working out is not optional, and I will find a way to do it, no matter what.
Maybe that's an exercise video in my (cooler, not cold) room. Maybe it's getting up early to exercise before it's too hot, or aiming to work out later. Maybe it's finding a cool place to walk, like a mall or other free, airconditioned space. But there are too many options to let the heat be your excuse.
I do exactly that. It's just impossible for me to run for an hour or so when the temp is higher than 25°C (I mean health-wise, regarding dehydration, etc.), so the only thing to do is to go before 6 am. -_- I put my sports clothes on a chair near my bed, same for my shoes, and I jump right into them as soon as I hit the alarm-clock... while I'm still too sleepy to think about it. XD If I start thinking, I start rationalizing and finding excuses. So auto-pilot mode it is.
yesterday, was pretty hot. But I laced up my roller skates, and went out roller skating with the boys...I sweated like crazy. And when 30 min was up. IT WAS UP. You just got to really want it.
I agree get up earlier. It's actually cloudy, though humid, but I'm going to go rollerskating right now...maybe that will motivate you?
I summer, but 99+ degrees is too hot to run, so it is total motivation for me to get up at 5:30 or 6 and run then. I tell myself "now or never" and get out of bed. Some mornings are more painful than others (to get up) but I never finish my run and wish I would have slept another half hour or so.
Great things about morning runs:
1) Nothing can happen in your day to get in the way of exercise--it is already done
2) Sunrise is gorgeous! (And in the winter, even if the sun isn't up, the sky is breathtakingly beautiful)
3) Be part of the culture of early morning exercisers---I recognize the older woman walking in the park, the male jogger who reminds me of Micheal Bolton, the little bald guy who is out there every single morning, rain, shine, frost, snow; the mom who jogs in the park wearing a high school soccer team shirt....and they recognize me...it's a little unspoken club and I'm part of it just by virtue of getting my rear out there.
Junkie,
Can you go swimming instead of whatever your regular exercise is? It's a great workout as well and the heat won't bother you.
Other than that, I really don't see any option other than getting up early. I hate to exercise when it's hot and especially when it's humid. We are expecting a humid day here today, but my exercise is already done.
i live in FL; its always hot lol. But stand alone fans are great and a towel - i have a towel with me to wipe my face because sweat is what i dont like, not so much the heat, cos i know i can go bathe right after
Man you gotta learn to LOVE working out when it's hot! When you sweat, the weight melts off. Actually this thread is inspiring me to go out and run around in the Florida heat.
Just checking my list and I believe the "Too hot to exercise" is listed as excuse number #102...Right below "my finger hurts" and directly above "my hubby won't walk with me" excuses.
Thank you for all your responses! I did get my butt out of bed this morning and did Jillian's Level 1 20 min shred workout. I agree that AFTER the exercise I feel great and would not have rather slept in. Even this morning, I had the fans going and I was sweating like crazy. My primary modes of exercise are yoga, kickboxing, and everlast shadow boxing classes. At my heaviest I started out swimming, but without a coach or class/team I seem to lack the motivation to swim really hard. I can go lap after lap, but the intensity just isn't there. I enjoy classes because I don't have to think about my exercise routine, I just have to do whatever the instructor tells me! Day one down. Gotta keep it up. I feel great this morning. Thanks for the support and reminders!
When the summer heat cranked up last year, I switched my heavy cardio for walking. I did stretching and calisthenics in the morning, and walked EVERYWHERE with my kids. Five to six miles 3 or 4 days a week.
FYI, it takes 2 weeks for your body to acclimate to heat. Those 2 weeks are absolutely MISERABLE, but I strongly suggest toughing it out and doing it. Stay out of AC as much as possible and stay extremely hydrated. Turning it off at home will not only help you adjust, but will save tons of money. We only caved once this summer (right after the baby was born) when the temps jumped from 70 to 110 in a single day.
An interesting side effect of toughing it out in extreme heat - you only crave water dense foods. I wanted nothing to do with chocolate, ice cream or anything grain based last summer. Veggies and fruits (and jello lol) were my big desires.
It's too hot to work out!
summer, but 99+ degrees is too hot to run, so it is total motivation for me to get up at 5:30 or 6 and run then. I tell myself "now or never" and get out of bed. Some mornings are more painful than others (to get up) but I never finish my run and wish I would have slept another half hour or so.
