If there’s one HOT topic in all of my online sessions right now, it’s the bloody UK weather. 😂🌞

I have heard all about the heatwave. Too hot to run. Too hot to train. Too hot to sleep properly. Too hot to even look at a pair of leggings.

Fair.

But here’s the thing: you do not need to force your usual workout in hot weather, and you also do not need to abandon your routine completely.

You just need a heatwave version of the plan.

How to exercise in hot weather without binning your routine

Consistency does not mean doing the exact same workout, at the exact same time, at the exact same intensity, no matter what.

That is not discipline. Sometimes that is just poor planning.

Your routine should work around your actual life, and yes, that includes the weather.

So if it is roasting outside, try this:

1. Change the time

Train earlier in the morning or later in the evening when it is cooler.

A 7am run is still a run.

Nobody is giving out medals for doing it at 2pm in 33°C heat.

2. Reduce the intensity

Hot weather is not the time to prove how hardcore you are.

Take longer rests.

Use lighter weights.

Do fewer sets.

Swap a hard run for an easy one.

Swap HIIT for strength, yoga or mobility.

You can still train without absolutely cooking yourself.

3. Make the workout shorter

Twenty minutes still counts.

Ten minutes still counts.

A shorter workout is not a failed workout.

If that is what feels manageable today, do that.

4. Change the environment

Use the coolest room in the house.

Find shade.

Use a fan.

Train indoors.

Go to the gym.

Go for a swim.

Work with the conditions you actually have instead of pretending you live somewhere permanently 18°C and breezy.

5. Hydrate properly

If you are exercising in hot weather, take water with you and drink regularly.

If you are sweating heavily or training for longer, you may also need to think about electrolytes.

No need to turn hydration into a personality trait.

Just do not head out for a scorching run armed with nothing but optimism.

And sometimes, just rest

If it is genuinely too hot to exercise safely, do not exercise.

If you feel dizzy, nauseous, unusually weak, confused or unwell, stop, cool down and take it seriously. There is a difference between adapting your workout and ignoring your body.

Please do not “make up” missed workouts.

Miss Monday because it was boiling? You do not now owe your training plan three workouts on Tuesday.

There is no catch-up required.

Just move on to your next session.

One missed workout does not ruin your progress.

Your Heatwave Habit Plan

When the temperature climbs, ask:

Can I change the time?
Can I change the environment?
Can I reduce the intensity?
Can I make it shorter?
Do I actually need to rest?

That is it.

Consistency is not stubbornly following the same plan regardless of circumstances. It is knowing how to keep moving forward when circumstances change.

So if the heatwave has thrown your workout routine this week, do not spiral.

Adapt the plan. Keep the habit. Move on.

And if today’s version of movement is a 15-minute walk once the sun goes down?

Perfect.

Move to feel good, not to prove something.

Want help building a fitness routine that actually fits your life?

Start your free Fit Living app trial here or chat to me about coaching here. 💛