Summer temperatures don’t have to zap your workout routine, but they are a good reason to mix things up with smart training that builds fitness while keeping you safe from the heat. Three-time Boston Marathon champ Uta Pippig, who runs a fitness organization TakeTheMagicStep devoted to helping people make healthy lifestyle changes, suggests taking advantage of good weather to pursue activities you can’t in the winter.

“Do something you really enjoy,” she tells Newsmax Health, “and do something that you miss (during) the colder months.”




Summer is a great time to take on water sports like kayaking, paddle boating, and swimming — activities that work much of the body while offering a change of pace from what you’ve likely been doing during colder months. It’s also a time for team sports, like soccer and baseball, which make staying fit more social.

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But no matter what you choose to do, be mindful of the temperature. Working out earlier in the morning or later in the evening is important for staving off dehydration, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, or worse. Pippig advises first having a physical examination to make sure you’re ready for summer heat activity.

She also warns against working too hard in extreme temperatures. Always remember to start your workouts more slowly because in the heat we are more easily fatigued. Our body temperature and pulse rate can rise more quickly, working our systems harder, says Pippig, who competed in two Olympic Games and has won both the Berlin and New York City marathons.

During the mid-day heat, doing strength training in a gym is a great way to escape the summer sun while building a body more equipped to handle whatever sport you choose.

“The gym is cool … and you can prepare your core, prepare your body for the fall events to be a better runner, be a better biker, be a better golfer,” she says.


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