Anyone jogging, weightlifting, playing a sport, or doing any physical activity in this heat needs to keep hydration in mind. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Hydrate in Heat

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Local gym owner offers advice for working out in extreme heat

Jun 7, 2023 | 5:00 PM

If you’ve been staying active during the recent heat wave, you’ve probably found yourself burning a lot more energy than usual. Whether people work out, jog, cycle, or play a sport, this hot weather takes a toll.

A local gym operator is offering up some advice for dealing with the heat while continuing to stay active. Fighting through the heat is something she’s seeing in her gym on a regular basis now.

“The humidex kills us,” said Desiree Hesson, owner of The S2DIO in Prince Albert. “In brutal honesty, we have a rooftop air conditioner that only cools our spin room, plus I have six fans in there, and we still find the humidity is just crazy.”

According to Hesson, if you’re staying active during the heat the most important thing to remember is to stay hydrated. After all, higher temperatures mean you’re more likely to sweat, and all that water will need to be replaced.

“You want to do, at minimum, eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day, that’s a bare minimum,” Hesson said. “If you are exercising multiple times a week, you’ll want to chug down about 20 ounces of water a couple of hours before your workout, and about half an hour before you workout, you’ll want another eight ounces.”

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Hydrating during your workout is important as well, and having water close to hand will matter during your activity, whatever it may be. But even if you hydrate, it’s fair to expect a certain decrease in your strength or speed when it’s this hot outside.

“Hydration directly affects all of that, so that’s why it’s so important to hydrate through it all,” Hesson said. “But individual person to person, I personally love the heat… I want to feel and embrace the heat, where a lot of other people don’t have a good experience when it gets really hot.”

If the heat is really affecting your workouts or other exercises, one thing Hesson recommended to help avoid it is to get up earlier in the day.

“First thing in the morning, it’s always cooler,” she said. “Or go later in the evening when it’s a little cooler out then. It shouldn’t hit you quite as hard.”

According to Environment Canada, every day in June so far has been well above average for temperatures. The average temperatures for early June range from about 20-21 C, while several days this month have been over 30 C.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP

by Rob Mahon

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Local gym owner offers advice for working out in extreme heat

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