Working out in the heat makes you work faster. Even a little training makes you feel, “Man! I must’ve burned a lot of calories today!” Well, you’re not alone to think that. A lot of people believe that working out in the heat makes you feel fatter because you end up sweating buckets. But the question is, “Does it really work that way?” Read more to break down the truth!
The Sweaty Illusion of Weight Loss
When you work out in the heat, your body heats up faster. You sweat to cool down yourself which burns only a few extra calories along with your workout. It’s not going to do much for you in terms of shedding calories. Additionally, your body learns to adapt to the increased hot temperatures over time, using even fewer calories to keep you cool.
“But I have actually noticed slight weight loss after a t-shirt soaking workout”, you may protest. So, does that mean you burned more fat? Sorry to be disappointed, but no. Well, the little weight reduction after a sweaty workout session is due to water loss and not fat loss.
Those vibrating heated waist belts that are highly advertised work the same way. It’s just water loss not direct fat loss. Even that water loss is minimal and temporary. So, unless you’ve taken fat burner tablets, just a heated workout isn’t going to cut it.
The Downsides of Working Out in Heat for Weight Loss
It’s clear that exercising in heat doesn’t do anything extra for your weight loss. In fact, it is best to avoid grinding at gym when it gets excessively hot for various reasons, such as:
- It puts you at risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
- It can overheat your body and lead to heat stroke, disorientation, dizziness, etc, increasing the risk of accidents.
- You tend to get exhausted quickly, which impacts your performance. You won’t be able to enjoy your workout or sustain it for longer.
Best Way to Burn Calories & Fat
Here are some practical tips that’ll help you shed weight efficiently and you wouldn’t even feel like exercising in a furnace. Check out below:
- Focus on increasing the intensity of your workouts and stay consistent, rather than focusing on what’s the temperature or how much you’re sweating.
- Hydrate adequately during workout if the environment is naturally hot to replenish fluid loss. This will help you stay in the game for longer.
- Do cardio like cycling, running, swimming, etc., to burn extra calories.
- When you’re hungry after a workout, consume low-fat-and-carb but high-protein snacks such as smoothies, ISO whey protein shakes, quinoa porridge, etc. to increase muscle mass and cut fat.
The Bottom Line
Exercising in the heat may reduce a few calories, but it’s not a fat-loss hack. Most of that reduced weight is just sweat loss. Pushing yourself too hard in heat can play out against your favour as it puts extra stress on your body if you’re not careful. Stay smart, stay hydrated, and remember that it is not about how much you sweat, it’s about how hard and consistently you train.
