Great British Summer Time.

Just when you have given up on it showing up… you get a heatwave!  Lucky old us.

Whilst it’s tempting to hide from the heat and lounge in the shade, you still want to maintain your health and fitness goals.

But lacing up your trainers and heading out the door to the gym, a class or even for a walk is off putting if just clambering into your workout gear is a full on sweat!!

Stay healthy with these summer fitness tips from our fitness guru Julie Brealy:

• Hydration is the word of the day. Whether you’re a runner, a cycllist or just taking a brisk walk, when you are exercisng outside it is essential to drink water to retain fluid and stay cool. You need to be drinking at least 2 litres per day while it’s this hot!
• It’s all fun and games until you’re sidelined by heat exhaustion. Listen to your body and know your limits; watch out for nausea, dizziness, or an rapid or sustained increase in body temperature.
• Watch the weather; exercise before temperatures spike – early mornings and evenings are the coolest!  You could also opt for indoor activities on days when it’s too hot. Does your gym have aircon? You will probably find that its pretty quiet there right now as the kids are still on summer hols, why not take advantage of a quite cool space to work on technique or some new workouts.
• Be a shade seeker.  Is there a park or wood near you, seek out the shade where possible as being out in direct sun can increase dehydration.
• Shed dark, heavy cotton clothes for light, breathable clothing that wicks away sweat and reflects the sun. It’s a great opportunity to wear some hot colours to match the weather.
• Did you know that there are still hundreds of open air swimming pools or lidos in the UK? So if you’re are a water baby take it outside this summer to give your training a boost.  Swimming is a great way to tone up and burn off those calories whilst staying cool as the temperature rises.
• Save yourself from sunspots, wrinkles and sunburn— get a baseball cap, use sunscreen and exercise away from direct sunlight and try to avoid the mid day sun too. Read skincare expert Claudia Fallahs top tips for sun safe skincare here.

Julie really is an expert in exercise in the sun.

We are lucky enough to run our Health & Fitness Holidays in both Spain and France.  Designing a course that is both challenging and enjoyable while at the same time safe is something that Julie has perfected over the last few years.

That is in part why so many retreaters join us every year for their “time out”.

The heat and sunshine need not drain you but rather can really energise you.

If you want to learn more about what makes our Mediterranean Health & Fitness Holidays so effective then just click here.

Whatever you do to continue your health and fitness goals make sure that you enjoy the hazy days of summer before autumn rolls around too soon as these days are just a memory!

And if you are too busy right now to enjoy the sunshine and are facing an autumn and winter of drab grey skies then why not join us this October in Andalusia for a week of great food, great exercise, great company and some great weather.