Can I still exercise on a very hot day?

Often yes, but with care, and sometimes it is wiser not to. Try to be active in the cooler parts of the day, like early morning, stay in shade where you can, slow your pace, take more breaks, and drink plenty of water. Light, loose clothing and a hat help. On extremely hot or humid days, or if you start to feel unwell, it is best to stop or move activity indoors. Always follow advice from coaches and teachers.

Why do I shiver when I get cold?

Shivering is your body's clever way of warming itself. When you get cold, your muscles make tiny rapid movements, and that muscle activity produces heat. It is a sign your body is working to keep its core temperature up. If you are shivering a lot during exercise, it is a signal to add a layer, get moving to warm up, or head somewhere warmer.

Exercising Safely in Hot and Cold Weather | Sport

Your body's built-in thermostat

Whether it is a baking summer afternoon or a frosty winter morning, your body is always working to keep its inside temperature steady. This balancing act is called thermoregulation, and exercise makes it harder, because working muscles produce a lot of heat. Understanding how it works helps you stay safe and comfortable whatever the weather.

This lesson explains how your body controls its temperature during exercise and how to look after yourself in heat and cold. It builds on Hydration and Exercise and connects to Why Warming Up Matters.

How your body controls its temperature

Your body likes to stay around a steady core temperature. Exercise and weather both try to push it off balance, so your body responds:

When you get too hot, blood flows closer to the skin to release heat, and you sweat. As sweat evaporates, it carries heat away and cools you down.
When you get too cold, blood moves away from the skin to protect your core, and you may shiver, which produces heat through muscle activity.

Exercise creates a lot of extra heat, so on a warm day your cooling system has to work overtime. On a cold day, that same heat can be helpful, which is why you warm up quickly once you start moving.

Staying safe in the heat

Heat is the more dangerous of the two, because the body can overheat if it cannot shed heat fast enough. Here is how to exercise sensibly when it is hot:

Time it well. Be active in the cooler parts of the day, like early morning, rather than the midday peak.
Drink plenty. You lose water and salts through sweat, so drink before, during and after activity. See Hydration and Exercise.
Slow down and rest more. Ease your pace and take extra breaks, ideally in the shade.
Dress lightly. Loose, light-coloured clothing and a hat help you stay cool.
Watch for warning signs. Feeling dizzy, sick, very tired, getting a headache, or suddenly stopping sweating can mean you are overheating.

If you or a friend show those warning signs, stop straight away, move to a cool place, drink water, cool the skin, and tell a trusted adult. Serious symptoms need medical help quickly. Overheating is not something to push through.

Staying safe in the cold

Cold weather brings different challenges. Muscles are stiffer, and you can lose heat fast, especially if you get wet or stop moving.

Warm up thoroughly. Cold muscles are more easily injured, so a good warm-up matters even more, see Flexibility and Stretching.
Dress in layers. Several lighter layers trap warmth and can be added or removed as you heat up and cool down. A single thick layer is harder to adjust.
Protect the extremities. Hands, ears and head lose heat quickly, so gloves and a hat help.
Keep moving. Stopping for too long lets your body cool down fast. Keep gently active between efforts.
Watch for warning signs. Heavy shivering, numb fingers or toes, and feeling very cold mean it is time to add layers or head somewhere warm.

Hydration in any weather

It is easy to remember to drink when it is hot, but you sweat and lose fluid in the cold too, even if you notice it less. Whatever the season, keep drinking water around exercise so your body can cool itself and work well.

A simple weather check

Before exercising outdoors, take a moment to think:

How hot or cold is it? Adjust your pace, breaks and clothing to match.
Do I have what I need? Water for the heat, layers for the cold.
How do I feel? If you start to feel unwell, that is your signal to stop and get help.

A few seconds of planning keeps weather from spoiling your activity, or putting you at risk.

Quick recap

Your body works to keep its core temperature steady, and exercise adds extra heat.
Sweating cools you in the heat, so drinking water is essential.
In heat: time it well, slow down, find shade, hydrate, and watch for overheating signs.
In cold: warm up well, wear adjustable layers, and keep moving.
Learn the warning signs and act early; tell a trusted adult if something feels wrong.

Respect the weather, listen to your body, and you can stay active safely all year round.

Exercising Safely in Hot and Cold Weather

Key takeaways