Aside from the many athletes who, due to the intense heat in the summer, prefer to put their training and races on hold, most runners don’t stop running but tend to adjust their training routines. In fact, it’s not necessary to stop running when it’s hot, despite the alarming and sensationalist headlines in many news reports. As always, just take it with a grain of salt!

WHEN SHOULD YOU RUN? Honestly, you can go for a run at any time of day, but the best times in the summer are definitely before 8:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m., when temperatures are usually lower.

WHERE TO RUN? TAsphalt isn’t pleasant for running in the summer, so it would undoubtedly be best to choose mountain trails—or at least hilly routes… but city parks or fitness trails will work just fine, too. The greenery helps dissipate some of the heat, and there are often water fountains or shaded areas.

GETTING USED TO THE HEAT? It takes the body about two weeks to adjust to the rise in temperature. Until then, every workout will feel much harder: the advice is to reduce the intensity of your workouts during this adjustment period.

WHAT TO WEAR? We don’t recommend running shirtless and without a hat in the summer! Without clothing, sweat evaporates even faster, which can affect your run. It’s best to always wear lightweight technical clothing.

PROPER HYDRATION? It’s essential for our body’s health and performance, but not as important when it comes to workouts under 10k. In all other cases, it’s important to carry water bottles with you and take a sip every fifteen minutes.

DOES HEAT AFFECT PERFORMANCE? Yes. In fact, in hot weather, you lose one second per kilometer for every degree of the heat index above 28°: the heat index, of course, also depends on humidity, so 34° with 65% humidity can cause you to run 15 seconds per kilometer slower than usual.