Here's a little factoid about me - I hate hot weather.
Not your garden variety "Oh fiddle-dee-dee Rhett! I do believe I shall faint!" dislike. It's a hatred that's buried deep and moaned and groaned about ad nauseum November through March. Given that I live in the driest state in the driest inhabited continent on earth, this presents as somewhat of a problem. From April to the end of October, I'm sitting pretty in lovely cool winter sandwiched between two temperate seasons, but then things start to change.
Consider the example of a couple of summers back, when we went through a two week heatwave, the peak of which saw temps of 46ºC (almost 115ºF). Yeah. Consider also the very spectacular irony of this heat-hating girl getting pneumonia right in the middle of it. In other words, life could not be endured without air-conditioning 24/7 and yet I was rugged up under blankets on the couch most of the day. I went completely loopy.
So now that we've established the background, let me ask a question that has been plaguing me as the weather has begun to warm up this season.
How on earth does one manage a decent fitness regime when just breathing produces enough sweat to sink a ship?
So far, we're easing into summer slowly, with Monday and Tuesday this week being the first real taste of the heat that is to come. That said, I know the brick wall is coming and I was hoping to work out some strategies to combat the whole "I would rather spit-roast my head than go for a run" mentality before I'm knee-deep in excuses. Here's what I've got so far.
Exercise as early in the day as possible.
Ideally, I'd be out for a walk/run as soon as day breaks, but realistically, it almost never happens. Why? Because my husband works shifts and I can't leave the house unless he is present (and awake enough) to tend to the wee ones. If he has already left for work or is sleeping off a late shift from the previous evening, I'm out of luck.
Exercise immediately after the school run
I purposely carve out an hour from 9:30 - 10:30 for this purpose but at the height of summer, the heat has already made it difficult to get - or stay - motivated. If the weather isn't too bad, I can walk or (attempt to) run, but there's always the option of a self-designed workout or a fitness DVD at home to tide me over.
Exercise in a gym
I don't have a gym membership at the moment and I'm still deciding whether getting one will suit me. On a limited budget it can be a lot of money. The pros, of course, include being able to exercise in air-conditioned facilities. My nearest gym is within walking distance but I'd be a slave to their opening hours, meaning I couldn't postpone a workout until my husband returns home from work - it would need to be a post-school-drop-off morning workout or nothing.
I think the last option is going to be the most practical, despite the expense. Part of this, I think, is that if I'm 'just' walking on my own or 'just' doing my workouts at home, there's a huge temptation to skip workouts or basically coast my way through a too-easy set of exercises. If I'm paying for a gym membership the economics might actually work in my favour (ie, not wanting to waste my cash), and physically getting out of the house, like I would if I were attending any other appointment, will help get me in the right mindframe.
And the air-conditioning. Always a top priority!
I just wish my nearest gym was a little more full-featured. It has a basic cardio machines room, a female fitness room with some circuit equipment, a larger room with free weights / weights machines open to everyone, and a group fitness room and that's it. No pool. The class schedule is decent enough, but choosing a gym is, I think, a really personal decision. If the place fills up with gym bunnies every day, then that's going to be hugely intimidating for me.
Hmmm, lots to think about.
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