Does Hot Weather Make You Lose Weight?

. Exercise at home to get away from the hot sun. Take care of your skin when exercsing outdoors, use sunscreen.

Although the weather isn’t a confirmed factor in weight management, you’re more likely to burn extra calories when it’s cold out, explains Bixby, because your body works to keep its temperature constant. “Your body fights harder to stay warm than it does to cool off,” he says.

Facts: Well, sure you can—if you exercise more and eat less as the mercury climbs. But if you maintain the same habits as winter fades, don’t plan on magically dropping pounds. The perception that we lose more weight when it’s warm out may come from the fact that we sweat more when we’re hot.

Working out in hot temperature burns more fat — and calories — because your body has to work harder to cool itself. Your body releases heat through sweat, which comes from blood pumped to your skin. The hotter your body gets, the more blood your heart needs to pump to expel that heat.

It’s Too Darn Hot: How Heat Affects Your Weight Loss. In hot weather your body is prone to dehydration, and this actually can have an effect on your metabolism. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site.

How does heat affect the body?

When heat raises the temperature of your body to a high enough level, your body reacts by sweating to cool the temperature of the skin. This releases fluids from the body, primarily in the form of water and electrolytes. Any weight you lose this way will be gained back as soon as you eat or drink enough, according to Stew Smith of Military.com.

Heat warms the muscles and can help avoid injury by improving flexibility. Heat does offer some benefits during a workout when care and caution are used. For instance, when you do Bikram yoga, a form of yoga practiced in a heated room, the heat warms the muscles and can help avoid injury by improving flexibility.

Avoid exercising in the heat; exercise in the early morning or evening, when it’s cooler, or use an indoor facility such as a gym.

Recommendations. Drink plenty of water. The most important thing when you are exposed to increased heat, whether through exercising in warmer weather or sitting in the sauna, is to remain hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during and after an activity causes sweating.

Sweating does not equal fat loss. Despite what many marketers say, heat does not increase weight loss in the long term. There may be a short-term loss, but it’s in the form of water weight, not fat. Heat increases your body temperature, which makes you sweat, but it won’t increase the number of calories you burn.

The risks involved with exercising in a hot environment or in a sauna or steam bath are many, not the least of which is dehydration.

This is true whether you are in a sauna, wearing a sauna suit or exercising in high temperatures. Heat won’t increase the number of calories burned, which is the only thing that will lead to the loss of fat.

How much water does the body lose in hot weather?

In the course of an average day, sweating, breathing, and waste elimination together leach more than 10 cups of water out of your body — and that’s without exercise. If you don’t replace what you’ve lost, you …

Similarly, sports drinks can pack a calorie punch. Unless you exercise for more than an hour, you can replenish your fluids and nutrients using water and healthy post-workout snacks instead.

Water aids in the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat, and it helps eliminate waste from the body. Dehydration lowers your body’s energy levels. Because blood is mostly water, when you’re dehydrated the volume of your blood diminishes, lowering amounts of oxygen and nutrients that reach your tissues.

In the heat, our bodies actually slow down a bit to try to conserve energy so as not to overheat. But none of this really makes any significant change in our BMR or how many calories our body needs. Advertisement. What is important to note is that in hot weather your body is prone to dehydration, and this actually can have an effect on your …

It’s also important to don the appropriate workout attire. Don’t wear sweats or heavy clothes while working out when it’s hot. Sweating more doesn’t help you burn more calories; it just may dehydrate you more. And most important, as I mentioned, stay hydrated!

Well, maybe yes, but probably no. Our bodies are well-tuned to keep things at status quo. If anything, our metabolism may go up when we’re cold, as our bodies need to work harder to maintain our temperature (by shivering). In the heat, our bodies actually slow down a bit to try to conserve energy so as not to overheat.

Can you lose weight in warm weather?

Myth: You can lose more weight in warm weather. Facts: Well, sure you can—if you exercise more and eat less as the mercury climbs. But if you maintain the same habits as winter fades, don’t plan on magically dropping pounds. The perception that we lose more weight when it’s warm out may come from the fact that we sweat more when we’re hot.

But losing weight via sweat means losing water, not fat, says Walter R. Bixby, associate professor of exercise science at Elon University in North Carolina. Lost water weight comes back fast—and dehydration can be dangerous—so extreme sweating is not a sound way to manipulate the scale.

So exercising outdoors on a cold day may burn incrementally more calories than the same activity on a hot one. But like squirrels, many people seem to pack on pounds in the winter and shed them come spring. That’s likely due to increased activity when the weather’s nice.

Why is it important to exercise in a hot environment?

Yet, it’s important to distinguish between a slight increase in calorie expenditure and rapid weight loss ( 1. ).

If you experience any of these symptoms, stop exercising, move to a cool location, and drink plenty of fluids ( 4. Trusted Source. , 5.

Wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen ( SPF 30 or more). Exercise in the early morning or late evening when the temperature is cooler, if possible. While exercising in the heat may give you an additional challenge, preparing ahead of time can save you from unwanted injury and illness.

Experience. If you’re new to exercising in the heat, start slowly and reduce your normal intensity until your body adjusts. This usually takes up to 2 weeks. As mentioned, knowing the temperature and humidity levels outside will ensure you’re exercising in a safe environment.

If left untreated, this can lead to heat stroke, which is characterized by a body temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher, hot and dry skin, disorientation, and in rare cases, seizures. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention ( 4. ).

Though many believe it also helps burn more calories, the effects are minimal. That said, if you wish to exercise in the heat, there are important safety concerns you’ll need to consider.

All in all, though you may burn a few more calories in the heat, you’re best off choosing exercise you enjoy and can sustain in the long term. Though you burn more calories in the heat, its role in weight loss is minimal and decreases as you acclimate to exercising in warmer climates.