Wealden Times | WT244 | September 2022 | Winter Interiors Supplement inside

Wellbeing
Keep your
cool
With the climate hotting up,
Sarah Maxwell get to grips with
exercising safely in the heat
Today I’m enjoying basking in glorious
sunshine, contemplating doing a
lunchtime workout. The usual excuses
come to the surface, ‘it’s too hot to exercise’, ‘I
can’t face having to do an hour in this’, etc. If
it’s hot outdoors or indoors and you’re finding
it difficult to motivate yourself, read on...
If possible exercise either early morning or evening –
shade is your friend if it doesn’t fit in with your day.
Hydrate: Hydrate before, during and
after your workout. If you notice your
urine is dark, up your water intake.
Protect your skin: Our skin and subcutaneous
tissue are our body’s cooling system, designed
to move blood away from vital organs and keep
them at the correct temperature. If our skin and
below the skin tissue becomes damaged it can
cause our natural air conditioning to fail.
What to wear: Opt for breathable, lightweight clothing
that allows your skin to perspire and enable cooling.
Avoid cotton because it holds the heat and sweat close
to your body, making it wet, heavy and uncomfortable.
A damp towel around your neck really helps keep
your body temperature down. If it’s exceptionally
hot, I wear a damp towel on my head instead of a
hat. It’s not remotely stylish, but it works for me.
This summer my favourite HOT HIIT Workout involves:
• 2-3 minute warm up
• Star jumps
• Plank
• Squats
• Burpees
6 rounds of 45 seconds with a 1 minute rest between
each exercise. I usually add in pelvic floor exercises
in the rest period (I like multi-tasking)
You can also take your HIIT training into the water.
No swimming involved AND you don’t have to get
your hair wet! Stand in waist height water, gentle
jogging on the spot and loosening your shoulders for
2-3 minutes, gradually increasing the intensity.
• Star jumps: Jumping legs and arms apart and back
together (be careful with your arms if you’re in water up to
your chest, it’s much more difficult to move your arms).
• Side steps/ side gallops: Keep your hips facing forward
(or facing the pool wall) and take a big step to the side,
then bring the other leg to join. Step 5 times in one
direction then the other until 45 seconds is up.
• Split jumps: Begin standing with your legs together. Jump up
and split the legs, right leg forward and left leg back. Land with
legs together. Repeat the jump and split the legs, left leg forward
and right leg back. To increase the intensity, focus on vertical height
along with quickly snapping the legs back together for the landing.
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Less is more: Swap your long duration run, cycle
etc. for short HIIT workouts. HIIT workouts are
great in the heat, allowing you short rest breaks and
enabling you to take in more water. It’s also a great
opportunity to shake up your regular workout routine.
Remember! Even though you will be cooler in the water, you still
need to keep hydrated because you won’t notice it but you will
be sweating. Above all, listen to your body, stop if you feel faint,
unwell or just can’t carry on. Do what you can, when you can
and give yourself a big clap for whatever you manage to achieve!
Sarah Maxwell is a multi award-winning weight loss, lifestyle and fitness coach. Find out more about her work:
Facebook & Instagram: @sarahmaxlife Twitter: @sarahmax100 sarahmaxwell.com
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