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The human body is SOO amazing- it can acclimatize to any condition, generally about 2 weeks is needed to fully adapt to seasonal changes.  Montreal summertime is no exception; filling parks with joggers, walking paths with cyclists and grass patches full of yogi’s and Tina Toner bootcampers (plug )but while everyone’s outside enjoying the weather, it’s easy to forget the bare necessities that allow you to get the most out of your workout.  Arm yourself with the following 5 principals to avoid heat stroke, dehydration, or another heat related injury and get the best training experience possible.

1)      HYDRATE-but how much? It might sound obvious but you’d be surprised at how many people ignore rule number 1 and find themselves feeling nauseous or dizzy during exercise or in some cases, simply relaxing under the hot sun.  I too am guilty of not drinking enough unless I’m absolutely parched, so exactly how much water should you have before, during and after a typical summertime outdoor training session? Remember the 8-3-8 rule; 8 oz half an hour before training, approximately 3 ounces every 15 minutes during and another 8 oz after your session.  This should be just enough to keep your gas tank running smoothly.

2)      NOT BETWEEN 10 & 3?- there are various opinions on the hottest times of the day; but anywhere between 10AM and 3 PM are the most popular choices.   Keeping this in mind, fitness shortly after sunrise or in the late afternoon and evening can be ideal and provide lots of necessary shade and cool breezes.  If you could train harder for longer during those hours, why not?

3)      DRESS FOR THE WEATHER-dressing for winter is obvious; anything thermal will do but when it comes to summer temperatures, we take for granted that wearing less is enough.  100% pale coloured cotton is both lightweight and breathable; this includes the socks you should wear with your sneakers. Go natural: Removing all jewellery prevents possible friction during activity and there’s no sweeter feeling than letting your neck breathe from tying your hair up if you’re perspiring profusely.  You might also not realize the benefits of training without makeup but applying cream or foundation only sweats out of your pores making you feel hotter.  Leave the ‘cute’ stuff at home and train hard.

4)      COOL DOWN ON THE WARMING UP-summer training will elevate your heart rate very quickly and you won’t have to work as hard to reach a higher intensity level.  Take this into consideration and be aware of your heart rate changes to cater your intensity to the warmer conditions. Unless you’re trying to get your tan on, there’s no logical reason to train under the brutally hot sun in gruelling temperatures. Find some shade by the trees instead.

5)      Finally, KNOW YOUR LIMITS- its ok to push yourself but don’t ignore your body.  Hyperthermia is a condition that can go from bad to terrible in a matter of minutes if not addressed immediately.  Adequate hydration can usually normalize the onset of a hypothermic state but pay attention to the following signals so you can catch it early: Abdominal or calve cramps, ‘cold’ sweat type of feeling with cool skin while sweating profusely and to a much more serious degree, dry red skin with NO sweating which could be a sign of heat stroke.  If this is the case there is only one thing to do, stop exercising and replenish your liquids right away.  Fitness can’t possibly be fun if you let the heat bog you down.  Know when to take a breather, grab some water, sit under shade or simply train indoors.  Have a great summer!

I bet that title caught your attention, huh? Not surprisingly, that’s the most popular area many women and several men, have body issues with; the dreaded tummy bulge. So many things could be the culprit- Slowing metabolism, water retention, menstruation, stress…beer? and numerous other possibilities. The first thing I have to clear up however is that you can NOT and I repeat CANNOT lose weight with abdominal crunches alone. Forget those silly infomercials that inspire you to spend your grocery money on the latest fitness gadgets promising to lose 3 belt sizes in a week. This CAN happen but I can assure you, not with that exercise gadget alone! Let me make this clearer: you can do 1000 sit ups a day and you’ll merely end up with a VERY strong FAT tummy. If you seriously want to get rid of your belly, then pay attention to the following:

CALORIE REDUCTION: Do you consider yourself to be a skinny ‘fat’ person? You know the type; super tiny everywhere else except for that blasted BELLY!! So many women are in your position but unfortunately even if you can’t afford to lose weight anywhere else, losing any kind of fat comes with calorie reduction which essentially leads to overall weight loss. Cutting only 100 – 200 calories a day will add up at the end of the week thereby increasing weight loss in the tummy…this could be from the cream in your coffee, your nighttime cheese and crackers snack or your poking around and picking at various things through out the day; if we look hard enough, we can all find SOMEWHERE we can reduce our calorie intake.

CALORIE INCREASE: OK, now you’re thinking I’ve REALLY gone crazy. Hear me out…If you’re saying ‘but Tina, I eat SOOOO little as it is, I can’t afford to lose anymore calories!!” my response is, are you getting ENOUGH calories? Yes, enough! Strange to think that we need more calories sometimes to LOSE weight but it’s a pretty funny thing when you think about it. If you’re truly eating only 1,000 calories/day for example, your body can go into a “storage” mode where it thinks it’s not getting enough food and hordes all the calories. Your metabolism can slow down because it thinks it’s “fasting” and will want to preserve as much energy as possible. This is done by holding onto the fat stores and not releasing them. Consider it protecting you…isn’t it sweet? Now that you’re starting to understand that as a possibility, let’s move to the next important factor.

CALORIE REPLACEMENT: Calories may be calories in theory but in practice, CLEAN EATING calories are the way to go. Removing ALL boxed or preserved foods and replacing them with fruit and vegetable calories will satisfy you while filling you up with nutrients. You’ll increase the fibre in your diet which in turn will increase your bathroom visits which will help to bring down your tummy. My all time favorite book EVER for healthy eating is by well respected fitness pro, Tosca Reno : The Eat Clean Diet. If you’re SERIOUS about changing the way you eat and live, this IS for you.

LIMIT OR CUT OUT FOODS LOADED WITH SUGAR INCLUDING ALCOHOL: This information can be found in more depth in The Eat Clean Diet book I’m boasting about but in short, sugar is a MAJOR culprit as to why so many people see fat around their waistline. I challenge you to cut out sugar for a day! Just one day. Sounds easy, huh? Ok…let me break it down for you. Most sugars are easy to spot: brown sugar, powdered sugar,table sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, honey, and cane sugar. Every day, we eat foods that contain these types of added sugars such as the obvious cake, syrup, cookies, cereals, breads and pastries. The question is, can you stop eating the NOT so obvious sugar filled salad dressings, sauces -(spaghetti or alfredo), canned fruits and vegetables? The key to doing this successfully is to eat FRESH or as Tosca says, clean! Once you’ve mastered 1 day, I challenge you to add another..and another…and guess what? You got it, ANOTHER! Measure around your tummy from the belly button and back before and after. There will be a difference!

CARDIO AND WEIGHT TRAINING: Now here is where MY expertise comes in. If you don’t enjoy training too hard, enjoy a good brisk walk after a meal. Doing this for 30 minutes several times a week with a good set of ankle and wrist weights will work up a sweat and help you to bring that tummy down.

The abdominals aren’t very big muscles so you’ll burn much more calories doing body weight exercises such as squats, jumps and other heart pumping exercises. My theory is that even 15 minutes of dedicated exercise a day is better than the NO exercise you had for months or years before so remember that even if it doesn’t seem like you’re getting to your flatter tummy   goal, you most definitely are.

REDUCE STRESS LEVEL: If only it could be as simple as it sounds “reduce stress level”. For a lot of people, this doesn’t sound possible but believe it or not stress is the number one factor in weight loss and weight gain due to not eating enough, eating too much or simply not eating properly. Sleep loss will also help with weight gain. The body needs to be stress free to function at its best so find a way to reduce your stress level that will in some way create a domino effect of better sleep, better eating and a reduced waistline.

THYROID CHECKUP & OTHER THINGS…: If you’re eating well, sleeping better, exercising more and still not losing weight or gaining, it’s time to get your annual checkup with a suggestion to your doctor that you are concerned about your thyroid. A sluggish thyroid is more common than we think and it’s easy to work up a sweat at the gym and still not see results. Whatever you do, stay on track! What seems impossible is possible one calorie at a time.