Lose Fitness in Summer?

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Don't you just hate how it seems like you lose fitness in the summer? If not lose fitness, all of a sudden it feels so much harder to work out and the levels at which you are able to workout automatically decrease! It is like once the temperature goes over 80 degrees, your performance starts to really take a downward spiral!!

I noticed today doing KPC in an air-conditioned room (even with fans) that my HR is LOWER than when I exercise outside in the AM, HOWEVER, I feel sick, nauseated and headachy. It is like all of a sudden I am having heat stroke after 40 min. of intense exercise indoors!! My heartrate does not reflect that though. It got me thinking about why it feels so much easier to exercise hard outside (assuming it is 80 degrees or below) so I found this online:

http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/ysi/Spotlight96/heat.html


I am just whining because I feel like I am forced to downscale my workouts in the summer regardless of whether I exercise indoors or out.:) When I started with Cathe, I thought her workouts were so hard, especially the cardio. But when I go outside and realize my HR actually gets higher out there but it feels easier, I wonder whether or not it was that little tiny room all along makin' me feel crappy!!:)

Now I know many of you can relate to this considering we are all home exercisers!!! And runners GOTTA know what I am talking about!

Already hotter than he*! in Phoenix,
Janice
 
Go aqua.

I'd be lost if I didn't have aqua as part of my program in the dread heat/humidity of summer. Even here in Minnesota we can have a wicked hot/steamy phase of summer, and a workout that usually simply fires me up instead becomes extremely difficult because the steamy-heat environment prevents heat dissipation.

Janice, is there any way you could, or would want to, develop water training as part of your routine to get you thru the summer?

A-Jock
 
Hi Janice,

I usually do a lot of swimming in the summer. I do notice my runs suffer if it is over 80 degrees.

The weather has been perfect here in Utah this past week. 70s..

Beverly
 
For some reason, I tend to do better in the summer. I think because it's so humid here in Florida that I tend to sweat out a lot of water in my morning workouts. Sweating more makes me feel like I've worked harder but I haven't noticed my performance being any worse.
 
Ajock...
I would love to take YOUR aqua class but I don't think the other ones around here measure up, but I haven't looked either.


AND, I really don't know how to swim, I only know how to doggie-paddle. Just never "got it". Had a pool all my life, but I don't know, apparantly it is not my forte'.

Maybe I will look into it. Biggest obstacle is I workout to Cathe at lunch. Sometimes I run in the AM, but Cathe workouts will always suffer in the summer, cuz even indoors it is not as cool.

Ah, oh well (sigh)

Janice
 
Yes, summer is nearly here in NC and I am dreading it as usual. I stop running and biking outdoors. The bugs are horrific, the humidity and the blazing heat. I do sometimes walk for errands, but not much. I don't think I lose fitness, because I keep working out at the same pace and rate inside, but it is not the same.

One good thing about summer is the fresh produce!
 
Hi Janice and everybody:

I woke up this morning to bird song. I have not had to wear a sweater or Winter coat to go out in today, all the windows are open, and I even had to open both front and back doors when I wokled out today it was so warm.

I'm in Michigan and I think Spring is arriving and it's so wonderful.

It is hard to work out in great heat and humidity and when I know that on a certain day in July and August the temps will hit 90 degrees, the only option is to make sure the workout is started by 10 am, over by 12 noon, or it will never happen. And I have two fans trained on me the entire time since I do not have air conditioning.

But here in Michigan, we still have a long time 'til we have to worrry about that.

I don't think my fitness suffers because of the heat, I can still make strength and cardio endurance gains even in high temps. But, I will be more tired afterwards. If anythng, I am usually in better shape in Spring and Summer because I am a happier person and with teaching over until the fall, I have a little more time to exercise regularly.

You know, people aren't supposed to live in the desert! You need to make ssure you are taking regular water breaks. You should be drinking more during workouts than you do in the Winter. Maybe focus more on weights, less on cardio until fall?

Clare
 
High humidity drains me. I think because the sweat doesn't evaporate easily in high humidity your body doesn't cool as efficiently compared to a lower humidity environment. :-(
 
That is why Cathy. You should read the article I posted, pretty informative.

The difference is very obvious to me since I workout in the same room at the same temperature every day, or atleast every indoor workout. It is like all of a sudden, BAM, workouts get really hard and I start to get sick. 3 other people work out with me though in a room the size of a bedroom, so maybe I am lacking oxygen or something! Water is definitly not a problem, I drink tons!!! Oh well, I am leaning more towards S&H and stability ball workouts these days so maybe I will be OK...LOL!!!

It is so nice to wake up to birdsongs! Yeah, that happened last month for like a week here. That was our spring!!:):)

Janice
 
I have a terrible time running in the summer and end up not doing much until fall. The heat/humidity really gets to me to the point where I feel sick, nauseous and shaky. I prefer not to run once it gets over 70 degrees. My favorite temp to run in is 20-30 degrees!

My indoor workouts don't suffer in summer, though.

Erica
 
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