Sweating summer

It's getting hot out. But not everyone lets that be an excuse to stop taking exercise. You don't have to ride a bicycle circuit all summer as some do, but you don't have to be trapped inside watching your fitness level deteriorate, either.

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Sweat trickling down your spine, nostrils flaring and straining to take in the heavy, sticky air. We all know what it's like to be out in the scorching summer heat.

But exercising out there?

Cyclist Wolfgang Hohmann, for one, isn't letting the summer heat slow him down. Despite the temperature and humidity, Hohmann - and hundreds of other cyclists - hit the roads of Dubai every week all summer to stay in shape.

It seems, though, that Hohmann and his ilk are a minority. As The National reports today, a survey by the Dubai Health Authority shows that only 19 per cent of people in Dubai get enough exercise year round. We must assume that this number dips lower still when the mercury rises.

It's easy to hunker down in air-conditioned indolence all summer. But if you're devoted to exercise at all, a willingness to "feel the burn" takes on new meaning if you can break through the psychological barrier against stepping outside.

To be sure, you don't want to feel the sunburn, and need to take sensible precautions, perhaps consulting a doctor first. But remember that in some countries people pay good money to get a steam bath - indoors.

A measured amount of exposure to the weather can be a positive experience. As with so much about your body, the key is in your mind.