High temperatures could endanger long-term health and could be a hindrance when you want to exercise, warn scientists. Here’s how you can continue to exercise when it’s hot outside.
Going for a run when it’s 30 degrees or hotter outside can be a serious challenge. This is one of the reasons why players at the 2026 World Cup have controversial additional hydration breaks, 22 minutes into each half.
With record temperatures approaching this summer due to the El Niño phenomenon, a difficult period for exercising lies ahead. Running or playing football in extreme heat can be not only uncomfortable but also dangerous, as there is a risk of heatstroke, reports BBC.
"Walking, cycling, outdoor physical activities, and even daily routines like walking to work become more physically demanding and less comfortable when temperatures are high," says Christian García-Witulski, an epidemiologist specializing in lifestyle and environment at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina.
But if we reduce our physical activity every time it's too hot to exercise outside, this could contribute to long-term health risks because we lose our ability to adapt to high temperatures and move towards a more sedentary lifestyle.
García-Witulski and his colleagues recently warned, in a new study, that due to rising temperatures as a result of climate change, people may exercise less in hot conditions, leading to approximately 470,000 to 700,000 premature deaths per year by 2050.
So, how do you protect your long-term health by staying active when it gets very hot? Researchers propose some effective strategies for scorching days:
Exercise earlier
The change with the greatest impact that most people can adopt is to exercise when it's cooler, in the morning or evening.
You can also choose times when the area where you exercise is shaded, as opposed to direct sunlight. "The temperature can be up to 12-15°C higher than in the shade," says Ollie Jay, director of the Heat and Health Research Center at the University of Sydney.
Therefore, she recommends that listening to the body's signals and deliberately reducing the pace should be the main line of defense against heatwaves.
If we adapt, set our pace, and exercise early, we can remain active even when the temperature rises. Heat-related conditions pose a risk, so we need to be attentive to signs that include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and palpitations. If any of these occur, you should stop immediately and relax.
"I think the main message is that we should no longer think of physical activity as something completely separate from the climate," García-Witulski says. "As heatwaves become more frequent, people will increasingly need to adapt and decide not only if they exercise, but also when, where, and how they do it," the expert added.
T.D.