10 tips for doing sports in the summer

Now that the good weather is here, it’s common to see more people doing sports outdoors. Whether it’s because they’re trying to get beach body ready or because the weather is nice, one thing is clear: summer is the best time to do sports and establish healthy lifestyle habits that will last a lifetime. However, if you’re going to do sports in the summer, there are a few things you need to bear in mind to avoid any nasty surprises.

If you’re still finding it hard to put on your tracksuit and get out of the house, read on and you’ll be persuaded to start living a healthy lifestyle now.

Tips to help you do sports in the summer

Drink plenty of water

Especially before, during and after doing physical exercise.

Remember that if you’re sweating profusely, as happens when you do sports in the middle of summer, drinking water may not be enough to avoid dehydration, as you’ll replace the water you have lost but not the electrolytes or salts in your body. So don’t rule out having isotonic drinks or taking natural vitamins for fatigue to help you replenish the minerals you’re lacking and improve your performance.

Encourage someone to do sports with you

Sport is always more fun if you do it with someone else. Encourage a friend to go with you, grab a couple of bikes and a bottle of water and you’ll have a perfect day of fun and exercise without even realising it.

Another good option for doing sport in the summer is to opt for water sports: swimming, water polo or aqua aerobics are great sports to do when it gets hot.

It’s best to exercise in the morning

The reason for this is very simple: it’s less hot and the sun is less fierce.

Doing sports in the morning will give you the strength you need for the rest of the day and you’ll feel far more energetic.

Eat breakfast before you go out

There’s a theory that by doing sport on an empty stomach, you’ll burn a lot more fat. This theory is wrong because if you do this, what your body will actually do is take energy from all available sources (muscle, fat, etc.) in the first 15 minutes, form ketone bodies and leave your sugar reserves so low that you run the risk of hypoglycaemia or exhaustion.

So you won’t be able to exercise for as long as you need to.

So, always keep your energy levels up and eat easily digestible food before you go out.

Beware of heat stroke

Forget about going out to do sport during the hottest hours of the day, i.e. from noon to 4pm. This will help you to avoid heat stroke. And don’t take any chances, at the slightest sign of heat stroke: dizziness, fatigue, nausea or cramps, stop exercising and drink some water.

You can change the type of sport you do if you like doing it at this time of day. Yoga or Pilates might be a good option.

Protect yourself from the sun

If you put on sunscreen when you go to the beach or to the swimming pool, why not do the same when you do outdoor sports?

Always use a high protection sunscreen, and if you get a cap to protect your head from the sun’s rays, you’ll have the perfect combination to be a top athlete.

Warming up is essential

We’re all tired of hearing this, but stretching before and after exercise is essential if you want to avoid the dreaded stiffness or any unwanted, painful muscle strains.

Eat sensibly

While you should eat easily digestible foods like protein before physical exercise, after sport it’s time to eat fruit or medium-acting carbohydrates like cereals.

It’s very important to eat five meals a day, and to take a supplement with ingredients that combat tiredness, which will help you perform better and for longer.

Wear comfortable, light clothing

Above all, it should be breathable, allow you to move around freely for your specific sport and it must fulfil its purpose. Make sure it has the level of protection and characteristics you need to feel comfortable.

Take a natural sports supplement

A sports supplement can be a great help for you if your performance drops when doing sport in the summer.

Probelte Pharma has launched onto the market the new Keriba Sport, a sports supplement with pomegranate extract, magnesium and vitamin B6 which will help you to avoid fatigue and exhaustion and also helps to minimise any muscle damage and inflammation associated with exercise. This makes it one of the best natural food supplements for physical tiredness and it will help you to enhance your sporting performance.

Also, pomegranate extract is beneficial for joint health thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect. Magnesium and vitamin B6 support normal protein synthesis, normal muscle function and normal bone maintenance, among other benefits.