Photo Credit: MikeBaird on Flickr.com
If you’re looking to burn more calories and think running during the highest temperatures each day or doing yoga in a stuffy room will do it, think again. The only extra weight you’ll lose by training in the heat will be water weight and of course, that will be instantly regained the second you drink in some much needed water. In my professional opinion, you’d be wiser to exercise in more moderate temperatures which may inspire you to exercise even longer or more intensely; doing so would definitely increase the amount of calories you burn.
Exercising in very cold temperatures, on the other hand, does result in extra calories being burned. Our bodies have to work harder to maintain our core temperature in the cold. Shivering, for example, requires our muscles to continuously flex, and this active motion does burn extra calories. Interesting, huh? I don’t recommend that any one should set their home thermostat to 20 degrees though; that would just be silly. At the end of the day, we should all plan to burn calories based on our actions. Training in a super hot environment can be dangerous. No one has ever heard of mild-temperature exhaustion, because it doesn’t exist. If you do choose to train in the heat, make sure you’re wearing proper sun-protecting if necessary and hydrating properly.
