Training in the heat - clothing and gear

With every year being, unfortunately, a new recorder-breaking year when it comes to average temperatures, it’s important to design your training sessions around those constraints.

You want to get the most out of your athletes but at the same time you have to balance a lot of other factors that have an influence on their performance.

Today we will discuss what clothes and gear is the best for beating the heat.

Clothes and gear

What you wear on yourself can have a huge impact on how you perform. If the shirt is too tight or the shoes don’t fit, you will have a hard time getting the most out of your workout.

What you wear is even more important when it comes to working out in the heat. Now your your clothes don’t just have to make you feel good, they also have to perform vital tasks for you.

Clothing

Lightweight and breathable fabrics are the way to go here. Choose materials that will help sweat evaporate more quickly. Your clothes should be loose fitting to allow for better air circulation. Both of these things will help cool you down while working out.

The colors you wear can also have an impact on how hot you will get when training outside.

Heat absorption of different colored shirts 

As you can see above, just by wearing light colored shirts you can lower the amount of heat you absorb by 10 to 15 degrees!

Head gear

Anything that can help you shield your head from direct sunlight will benefit you. Wear hats or caps that will provide shade and will help keep your head cool.

Soak them in water and stay a little extra cool. Caps with ventilation can help give you a little more airflow inside your cap which can aid cooling even more.

There are also different kinds of headbands that will trap your seat and cool you don’t once the sweat starts evaporating.

Footwear

We all have a pair of shoes that we love and want to wear it always but once the temperatures get high enough it may be wise to invest in another pair of breathable shoes where it will take a little longer for your feet to get wet.

Moisture wicking socks can help prevent blisters and keep your feet dry.

Sunscreen

There isn’t much to it. If you are working out outside when the UV index is high(er) just put on a layer of sunscreen and protect your skin from taking too much damage.

This is one of the easiest things you can do to prevent serious issues down the road.

Just do it!

Accessories

Just like with sunscreen, put on some nice sunglasses and protect your eyes from UV rays. If you training on public roads it will help you see your surroundings better and you will be able to avoid traffic accidents and injury.

A lot of people like to have a bucket with ice water and a small towel which they put on themselves during breaks. Putting it behind your neck and just for a few minutes can help the next part of your training be a little easier.

Pay attention to those details and you will be able to ensure a safer and more comfortable workout in hot weather.