Training in the Lahore summer.

Why is training harder in the summer heat?

When it is hot, your body has two jobs at once: powering your muscles and getting rid of heat. Blood is sent to the skin to cool you, so less is available for the working muscles, and your heart has to beat faster to keep up. Add the sweat you lose, and a session that felt fine in March can feel brutal in June, even at the same weights.

This is normal, and you have not lost fitness; a workout in summer simply needs planning a little differently, at least until the monsoon breaks and, later, the cooler months return.

What is the best time to work out in summer?

The best time to work out in summer is whenever it is coolest and you can be consistent. In Lahore that usually means early morning, before the sun gets strong, or after sunset, when the worst of the heat has passed. Midday and early afternoon are the hardest hours for anything outdoors.

Training indoors takes some of the sting out, but the drive to the gym, a car that has sat in the sun and a day of sweating at work all add up. If you train after office hours, start drinking water in the afternoon, not in the car park.

How much water should you drink when training in the heat?

There is no single number, because it depends on your size, how much you sweat and how long you train. Good hydration is a habit you keep across the whole day, and a litre gulped as you walk in does not replace it. A few practical rules:

• Drink steadily from the morning, so you arrive at training already well hydrated.
• Take a bottle into every session and sip between sets, rather than waiting until you are thirsty.
• Check the colour of your urine: pale straw is about right; dark yellow means drink more.
• After a long, sweaty session, replace salts as well as water, with an electrolyte drink, nimbu pani with a pinch of salt, or a salty meal.
• Go easy on very sugary drinks and large amounts of caffeine before you train.

Our guide to eating to train in Lahore covers summer food and drinks in more detail.

Save the records for the cooler months. In summer, hold on to the routine and let the weather pass.

How should you change your training in summer?

Keep the habit and adjust the load. On the hottest days:

• Lower the intensity. Lift a little lighter, or rest a little longer between sets.
• Shorten the conditioning. Long, hard intervals are the work heat affects most. Do fewer rounds, or move them to a cooler day.
• Still warm up. You will feel warm quickly, but your joints and muscles still need the gradual build.
• Allow more recovery. Heat adds to fatigue, so leave a little more space between hard days.

A good coach plans the season with you, perhaps putting more weight on strength work and less on long conditioning through June and July. At Structure, that is part of the Plan step of the Structure Method: your programme should change with the weather, just as it changes with your goal.

How long does it take to get used to the heat?

The body adapts to heat over roughly one to two weeks of regular exposure: you start sweating sooner, lose fewer salts in your sweat and feel less strained at the same effort. So the first hot week of the year, or the first week back after a holiday somewhere cooler, is when to be most careful. Start lighter and build up over the following days.

What should you wear to train in the heat?

Light, loose, breathable clothes in a fabric that dries quickly, rather than heavy cotton that stays wet. Light colours if you are outdoors. Bring a small towel for your face and hands, a full water bottle, and a change of clothes if you are heading back to the office. If you prefer covered kit, light, sweat-wicking long sleeves and leggings stay cooler than they look.

What are the warning signs of heat exhaustion?

Heat illness can come on quickly, and the early signs are easy to mistake for a hard session. Stop training and tell a coach straight away if you notice:

• Dizziness, light-headedness or feeling faint.
• Nausea, vomiting, or a headache that builds during the session.
• Heavy sweating with cold, clammy skin.
• Muscle cramps that will not ease.
• Unusual tiredness, a racing heart or feeling muddled.

Move somewhere cooler, sip water and rest. Heat exhaustion can turn into something more serious: confusion, fainting, hot skin that has stopped sweating, or symptoms that do not improve quickly are a medical emergency, so get help immediately. If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, are pregnant, or take medication that affects how you handle heat, check with your doctor before training through the summer.

Is swimming a good summer workout?

Swimming is one of the most comfortable ways to stay active in a Lahore summer: the water keeps you cool while you work, and it is easy on the joints. Structure’s Gulberg club has a temperature-controlled swimming pool, and swimming is one of our training programmes. An easy swim also makes a good rest-day session.

Where should you start?

Mid-summer is a hard time to start or come back, though it is still a perfectly good one. Begin gently, train at cooler times and let a coach set the pace. Book a free first visit at any club: a coach assesses how you move, asks about your week and gives you a starting plan to keep, whether or not you join. If you are choosing between our gym locations in Lahore for the summer, pick the club that is easiest to reach, because in this heat a shorter drive matters.