Monthly Archives: July 2012

Beat The Denver Heat – A Workout Guide

By | Denver Fitness, News | No Comments

As Denver gets hotter, it becomes harder to find exercise options that won’t burn you up.

You’re into watching your fitness.  But you’re also watching the temperature.  And it’s hot.  It’s so hot you can only wear spandex so you don’t burst into flames halfway through your lunchtime jog.

If you’ve been trying desperately to avoid the heat wave (tsunami?) that’s been sweeping Denver, you’re not alone.  If you’re a workout type and love the outdoors, then you’ll find yourself in a world of pain if you aren’t prepared for the high temperatures.

So how to avoid the heat and still get your workout in?

Here’s a few suggestions – some obvious, some more devious 🙂

Find some shade

If you can grab something heavy that you can lift, something you can wrap around a tree and pull on (a band, a trx, a strap of some sort) and can lay down some cones, then you’ve got all the workout you need – just give yourself a little ingenuity, think about a circuit you could do that would consist of 4-5 different exercises and you’re good to go!

Choose appropriate clothing

Wear something light and wicking – technology has come a long way, and high performance clothing can help move water away, cool in and if you believe the hype, improve your performance through increased circulation.  At upwards of 2-300 dollars for some of these outfits, the price tag ensures you’ll lighten your wallet, that’s for sure.

Shorten it up, Early it up

Do workouts HAVE to be an hour long?  The longer you’re out, the higher your temperature will rise – and the more you’ll sweat.  If you want to workout, try to workout for less time with more intensity.  To dodge the whole ‘I’m melting, I’m melting’ dilemma, get up earlier in the day and get your workout in before that big ol’ heatball in the sky comes out to play.

Get Home Spa on your bad self.

If you’re going to get hot, then again, shorten up your workouts, get really intense, get really sweaty then make sure you allocate time for a nice long shower.  Take your time, really sit and enjoy the cool water as it brings down your core temperature and washes away the workout grit from your body.  You’ll emerge refreshed, clean and probably de-stressed – I mean, it’s hard to answer emails or take phone calls in the shower, and all of us can do with a break from technology from time to time.

Drink Water.

So...thirsty... water... tastes.. soo... good!

It’s often said, but rarely followed. Dehydration will affect performance, concentration, and give you a range of problems you don’t want to even know about (constipation, anyone?).  Drink up and if you’re in the heat, drink more.  Here in Colorado the dryness means we need extra liquids. Don’t be afraid to mix it with a little juice or gatorade for flavor, but make sure you drink enough that your urine runs ‘near clear’.

Funny side story, my mother was in Peru once staying right on the edge of the forest.   She left her hotel to go for a run in the cool evening, waving goodbye to the ever-beaming hotel staff.  “I’m off for a run”, she said.  They laughed as if to say “why would you want to do that, you silly tourist”.  By the time she got back a search party had been assembled, trucks loaded with guns and mean lookin’ fellas.  As she walked up to the lobby she was enthusiastically welcomed back by the hotel manager, who gently explained to my mother that the evening is when the big cats like to hunt.  The laughter from the employees had been that of  “yeah, right.  Like anyone would be crazy enough to do that at this time of day!”

Essentially, a slow moving target such as my mother was prime eatin’s, and she had been lucky that her scrawny bones had been deemed not worth the hunt.

So, be glad you’re not being chased by a panther.. I guess that applies for just about any situation though 🙂

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

Bonza Bodies Fitness

We offer small group, 1-1, youth training and corporate wellness packages.  

Want to get to know us better?  Email  info@bonzabodies.com