# Stepping back from excersise during the summer.



## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

The last few years I’ve noticed That when it starts getting ridiculously hot I do a lot less excersise wise. 

Now the other 3 seasons of the year I’m out there almost every day. But hot humid sticky weather in the 90’s I just can’t be bothered anymore. 


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## Phillbo (Apr 7, 2004)

I'm the same ... 112* today and the overnight temps will probably not even drop much below the upper 80's....


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

I hate the high heat and humidity but will not let it get in the way of my training and routine. I just get out there early in the morning for whatever type of session I need that day. I can't imagine doing nothing for 2-3 months.

At our age, most gains made can easily be lost in a rather short amount of time.


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## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

Crankout said:


> I hate the high heat and humidity but will not let it get in the way of my training and routine. I just get out there early in the morning for whatever type of session I need that day. I can't imagine doing nothing for 2-3 months.
> 
> At our age, most gains made can easily be lost in a rather short amount of time.


Not a bad point. I might do at least one run a week to maintain my fitness, I'll try for two and run early morning when it's coolest . That way I can have a great fall winter running time

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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

Not at all except the army gym I use three days a week has not been available and there is still no scheduled opening date. The army is taking Covide-19 a lot more serious then too many states and too many people. When the gym is open, I go early to warm up then ride or, in winter, go in the afternoon after skiing.

Spring, Summer, Fall, I ride four days a week. It was close to 90 yesterday. I rode. It will top 90 tomorrow. I will ride for a few hours early in the day.

Fall, Winter, Spring, I ski 70 - 80 days.

We chose not to move to a warm weather state just to get old and die. 
I'm 71. I'm in much better shape then when I was at 40 which seems to be when men, at least, hit bottom and, if they are lucky, wake up and work on getting back in shape.

While my wife doesn't ride or ski much, she takes long power walks almost every morning and has a routine exercise group she completes before leaving the bedroom in the morning.


BE LIKE HERB


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I think the humidity has really started to affect me more the last few years. Last year, I really struggled with my trail running. I would run before work, not all that high temperature but very high humidity (I live in metro Atlanta) and I would just feel drained and have to walk a good bit.

This year, with the Covid thing and crowded mtb trails, I've been road/gravel biking. Two weekends ago I did a strenuous gravel ride and I was finding myself dizzy when I would stop for a rest, to the point of taking the infamous "wide stance" to be sure I didn't lose my balance while straddling the bike. I was not feeling dizzy when riding, though. I though maybe I needed to hydrate better so I took a bottle with a Nunn tablet along with my camelbak on a gravel ride last weekend and experienced some of the same, though maybe not quite as bad (different route). This past weekend I did a road ride, similar distance but not as strenuous and I was fine.

All three rides were morning, though I'm not a morning person and do well to be starting the ride by 9:00, having to drive 30-45 minutes to get to where I was riding. 

I'm 56 btw.


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## Central Scrutinizer (Aug 30, 2005)

I'm still riding (in 90+ degree weather, and humid), but a great alternative is to do body weight workouts (pushups, pullups, etc.), and work with a kettlebell - swings, squats, turkish get ups, goblet squats, etc. I'm 58, using a 50-lb kettlebell, and it's made a noticeable improvement in my riding strength. kettlebells takes up very little space and provides a huge amount of fitness/strength workout options.


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

If i were a water person i would swim.


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## Carve It Up (Jun 24, 2014)

Just turning 50 and I agree with Chaz, humidity seems to affect me more. Mostly, I am less inspired to ride in the 90 degree humid midwest days, and we have had more this year than I can remember in years past. I still sneak out a for 2-3 rides a week, mostly early morning. I plan a bigger trip a week with friends and that boosts me along, no option to back out. I actually have been really enjoying early morning yoga, at the studio with 50% capacity given current situations, between the the days I ride.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

I'm 65 and my e bike has allowed me to ride in the heat of the day. I ride on bike paths faster with a bit more power. I have found that doing that gives me a lot of air across me without overheating to get that breeze. The trails are virtually empty. I can still get a good workout but I have enough cooling air to not overheat when I do so. 
Was 92 yesterday (33 C) and humid. Rode 40 miles at an average speed of 18 mph. Rode today about 20 miles on analog bike at an average speed of 13 mph and about died at 85 deg. ( 29 C). Needed an afternoon nap.
Fk that, give me back my e bike when its hot outside


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

A few weeks ago I went out at 2:00 or so in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.
Fitness is going backwards, don't seem to be very quick anymore so why not take advantage of empty 110* trails to get a ride in and keep it slow.

When I raced a lot (running) I was always running after work and it was routinely 100 degrees at that time. I'm not very acclimated any more but I can function, just can't function as well as I used to given the same circumstances.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

Rev Bubba said:


> Not at all except the army gym I use three days a week has not been available and there is still no scheduled opening date. The army is taking Covide-19 a lot more serious then too many states and too many people. When the gym is open, I go early to warm up then ride or, in winter, go in the afternoon after skiing.
> 
> Spring, Summer, Fall, I ride four days a week. It was close to 90 yesterday. I rode. It will top 90 tomorrow. I will ride for a few hours early in the day.
> 
> ...


I'd encourage your wife, Bubba, to employ a couple of those near-identical hiking poles, even if she's "hiking" on concrete most of the way. The poles mobilize and gradually tone and strengthen the muscles around the shoulders and the arms, and create a balance between upper and lower body that you don't always get.


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## Outhouse (Jul 26, 2019)

FK that, you grow old not by age, but by how much life you quit. I dont quit heat

I go out and work the hot part of the day to stay young and fit enough to handle the heat.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

Its a thought but she is the type that, aside from decent running shoes, wants nothing mechanical such as hiking poles. A lot of her exercise works on upper body and arm strength.


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## upstateSC-rider (Dec 25, 2003)

When I drive I have my window down and no A/C to acclimate to the heat/humidity in south carolina and think it works. In the summer I usually get in about 150 miles over the course of 3x week, mostly road, with only 1 of those rides starting in the morning.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I've been crossfit training the past 6 years. I started as a 55 yr old total noob, but with regular attendance (5-6 dpw) and practice, I learned the Olympic lifts and progressions. I built up my strength and stamina to compete in the cf open each year. It's really made a difference to my overall fitness and an example for women that you can get fitter, stronger and build muscle over 55yrs. I started from scratch (a couple times  ) set goals and just persevered.

In 2015 I had a horrible crash while downhilling. I had to be airlifted to a major trauma centre ...due to the extent of my injuries. I got my strength and mobility back with training. Our cf gym closed in October so we set up a home gym. Since the pandemic, all our daily workouts are at home. Fortunately, I haven't gained any weight and I haven't lost any strength since the pandemic.

In spring 2016 I started running as a recovery to my injuries (I never ran prior to that either) Initially hated it but I found that the more mileage I did, the faster and further I got. I did my first 10km race in the fall of 2016. I kept seting goals to do longer distances. In 2019 I did my first half marathon (podiumed) and this year for my birthday I ran my first marathon... final results are still pending 

I still mtb (but not dh) with my husband on weekends. I learned to surf last summer on vacation in Tofino. (Man, that ocean is cold!) I'm more active now than ever plus continue to work full time as a healthcare professional. My hubby took up dirtbiking 2 years ago and he's also racing. I'm naturally curious to try and learn new things. I adjust to events such as pandemics or weather but I keep active. Winter is cold and summer is hot; the spring and fall can be rainy but I like getting out year round and go with the flow. Life is short. And like they say use it or lose it


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

I've been steadily losing muscle mass due to illness, and last week saw 169 on the scales. That hasn't happened since I was a hippie! Luckily we have a very small pool, so I have discovered pool aerobics. I have hot pink webbed gloves, and some foam dumbbells, and I try for at least 30 mins every day. I can't really ride my bike and distance, and walking is very hard now for any distance, but in the pool! It has opened a whole new world! Muscles are starting to tingle, and I am getting some more weight on


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Outhouse said:


> FK that, you grow old not by age, but by how much life you quit. I dont quit heat


I don't mind the heat much but my heart hates vigorous exercise in temps much over 90f or so. No acclimating for that so I'll happily quit for a few hours until it's a little cooler. With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

Outhouse said:


> FK that, you grow old not by age, but by how much life you quit. I dont quit heat
> 
> I go out and work the hot part of the day to stay young and fit enough to handle the heat.


By the time you are 150 years old you will have quit a lot of life. Think about everything in between where you are now and that 150 mark. Your statements will fall by the wayside and seem ridiculous to you in a few years.


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## beastmaster (Sep 19, 2012)

cyclelicious said:


> I've been crossfit training the past 6 years. I started as a 55 yr old total noob, but with regular attendance (5-6 dpw) and practice, I learned the Olympic lifts and progressions. I built up my strength and stamina to compete in the cf open each year. It's really made a difference to my overall fitness and an example for women that you can get fitter, stronger and build muscle over 55yrs. I started from scratch (a couple times  ) set goals and just persevered.
> 
> In 2015 I had a horrible crash while downhilling. I had to be airlifted to a major trauma centre ...due to the extent of my injuries. I got my strength and mobility back with training. Our cf gym closed in October so we set up a home gym. Since the pandemic, all our daily workouts are at home. Fortunately, I haven't gained any weight and I haven't lost any strength since the pandemic.
> 
> ...


Life is for living and it is for the living. Get after it before it gets after you. I really appreciate your story.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I definitely dial back my intensity when it's hot.

I'm also not a morning person, but everybody else knows it gets hot in the middle of the day, so being in a tourist town, the trailheads fill up early. It quiets down a LOT in the heat of the afternoon, though.

The humidity is the worst part of getting out early when it's like this. At least later when it's hotter, the humidity is actually lower.

There's other stuff I can do to stay cool, though. Can go paddling where I can get wet to cool off. Can also go hiking at higher elevations.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

It's boring, but you get good cardio benefit from walking.

My wife does nothing during the winter for 6 months and come spring seems to be able to jump on a bike and do quite well. She's 66, so it's not like you'll melt into a slab of fat if you take some time off.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

J.B. Weld said:


> I don't mind the heat much but my heart hates vigorous exercise in temps much over 90f or so. No acclimating for that so I'll happily quit for a few hours until it's a little cooler. With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.


I'm with you. Heat and humidity are brutal, and it's tough to adequately acclimate for me. I just read some article about how and why it negatively affects us 50 plus folks.
It's been a very hot summer so far, and I can tolerate it a bit more than those first few days of it but still....it's exhausting.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

Happybill68 said:


> The last few years I've noticed That when it starts getting ridiculously hot I do a lot less excersise wise.
> 
> Now the other 3 seasons of the year I'm out there almost every day. But hot humid sticky weather in the 90's I just can't be bothered anymore.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


yeah... I can't handle high temps that well... I end up soaked in sweat feeling like I'll have a heart attack if I go out on a hard ride in 90+ weather.. no thanx.. I have problems keep my blood pressure under control... going on brutal hot rides most likely not a super good idea for myself.

I now have 2 viable options

Option 1: wait till evening (staying light till ~8pm here now) .. I do have some pretty nice lights I could put on for night riding as well.

Option 2: E mtb.... then I can ride and not die at the same time.. which is fantastic really.. Trails near me are almost all open to ebikes...









if I'm honest partly because it is my new (2 me) toy and partly because I reaaally have always not liked summer heat at all... Option 2 is pretty much the on I've been going with... or option 3 wait till evening then ride ebike... good stuff...


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

At 72, I don't take the heat any better than I did at 30. In central California, the heat has been in the 90's and we're grateful. Even the 20 - 30 days that go into the 100's, the sea breeze off the Sacramento delta cools the nights to the fifties or the sixties so riding is something done in the morning. Cooler days, I can ride in the late evenings.

Because the humidity here is 15% - 25%, even riding in the lower 90's is not bad until I stop, then I'm instantly drenched. Off course, hydration is crucial in these conditions. Since we live on a small farm, we rise early in the summer and nap afternoon away. 

Retirement: The best job ever!


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## LanceWeaklegs (Dec 24, 2019)

you could join a pool and do some lap swimming. (don't do it in a lake unless you are an experienced open water swimmer, unless you have a safety Boater/boarder. open water swimming is completely different than pool laps). I do the reverse, swim hard in the pool from Nov to March, during the dark rainy season. the cardio benefits from hard swimming are substantial. my pool is full of old fast swimmers, with a few old slow swimmers.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

I live up north so in 12 months we see minus 35 and 35.
Daytime is 8 to 16 hrs so i simply vary when i ride.
I might start at 6 in the winter to see the moon a few minutes
than the sunrise. On the coldest windy days i might start at 10.
On hot summer days i might ride 7-9/10. 
I might ride 8-11.5
I ride very frequently but i adjust for weather.


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## 2sharp7 (Aug 29, 2013)

Phillbo said:


> I'm the same ... 112* today and the overnight temps will probably not even drop much below the upper 80's....


Sounds like Phoenix...


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## Outhouse (Jul 26, 2019)

J.B. Weld said:


> I don't mind the heat much but my heart hates vigorous exercise in temps much over 90f or so. No acclimating for that so I'll happily quit for a few hours until it's a little cooler. With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.


Using common sense is important, I know you do.

Example, did 50 miles yesterday, would not do it Saturday when temps hit 100.

Last week I did 13 in middle of the day when temps were in the upper 90's, and it was harder then the 50 in cooler weather.

Life is short, get what you can without overdoing it.

Here many races are in the middle of the day during the heat, so if I choose to enter, I need to be ready.


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## Outhouse (Jul 26, 2019)

PierreR said:


> Your statements will fall by the wayside and seem ridiculous to you in a few years.


No. Where there is a will there is a way.

Here in Northern Ca, there are many athletes, and many over 60, and many can be found at all times of the year and all weather conditions riding.

I worked well drilling for a decade, and you still have to put your boots on and work, no matter what the weather is, hot or cold. Believe it or not you do adapt and learn how to deal with it.

Suoer cold, layers are key. Super hot, staying hydrated and having salt pills help dramatically. Everyone has different limits, knowing yours is key to not overdoing it.

I love life


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Outhouse said:


> No. Where there is a will there is a way.
> 
> Here in Northern Ca, there are many athletes, and many over 60, and many can be found at all times of the year and all weather conditions riding.


That doesn't mean it's good for you. Excessive heat can damage the heart and other organs. I don't mind high temps too much but like everyone I have my limits.

High heat and high intensity are an especially bad combo because it increases heart rate a fair amount. Wise creatures seek shade and rest during the hottest part of the day.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

One comment on early rides. I ride wild country at least half the time and the early morning is the time when the big predators roam and hunt. It's amazing the amount of paranoia that lions generate when the rocks on the side of the trail are actually much more dangerous, but, we're humans and logic is not always supreme!


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

J.B. Weld said:


> That doesn't mean it's good for you. Excessive heat can damage the heart and other organs. I don't mind high temps too much but like everyone I have my limits.
> 
> High heat and high intensity are an especially bad combo because it increases heart rate a fair amount. Wise creatures seek shade and rest during the hottest part of the day.


I agree, depending on weather i select a more shady or sunny route and i avoid too much intensity when my common sense tells me. It is like the wind easy to deal with where we know enough trails. I do not do 4-5 hrs on the hottest days.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Humidity is awful for fitness, I lived twenty years in the south, at one point I saw a cardiologist because I though there was something wrong with my heart; tachycardia and profuse sweating. After a full cardiac work up he suggested I exercise less!

I moved back west six years ago, three years on the dry side of the Cascades and now three years on the dry side of the Sierras.

I ride as hard as I want, when I want, heat is no longer a limiting factor BECAUSE there is no humidity.

If you value your quality of life and you appreciate hard outside exercise, it behooves you to move West. Life is too short to live in the humidity zone.

Friday: 15 miles, Donner Rim Trail, Boreal Ridge to Drifter Hut to Truckee, 3k climbing/5k descending, 2.5 hours in the saddle.
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 23 miles TRT, Heavenly Valley to Starr Lake to High Meadows to Monument Pass to Heavenly Valley, 5k climbing/5k descending, five hours in the saddle
Monday: 12 miles TRT, Tahoe Meadows to Tunnel Creek to Lake Tahoe, 1k climbing/3k descending, quick two hour after work ride.
Tuesday: Hike
Wednesday: Ash to King after work ride planned

This weekend we're heading to Mammoth Lakes, but if it's smokey we'll go north to Sierraville or Downeyville.

All this ^ within an hour of home, Mammoth and Downeville are a two hour drive


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

Outhouse said:


> No. Where there is a will there is a way.


I love this encouragement. I want to live to 200


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Nurse Ben said:


> I ride as hard as I want, when I want, heat is no longer a limiting factor BECAUSE there is no humidity.


Sounds like heat isn't really much of a limiting factor either 

100f will test most people even @ 5% humidity.


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## Outhouse (Jul 26, 2019)

Nurse Ben said:


> All this ^ within an hour of home, Mammoth and Downeville are a two hour drive


Downy was dangerous this week, dad got murdered up there. They did catch the killer


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## Outhouse (Jul 26, 2019)

J.B. Weld said:


> That doesn't mean it's good for you. .


Listen to your body, no need to push it, and I agree that there are limits.


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