Training outdoors in hot weather: timing, hydration and when to stop.

• Train early or late, and look for shade.
• Lower your pace and load: in the heat, the same effort feels harder.
• Drink before, during and after training.
• Dizziness, nausea, confusion or a severe headache: stop and ask for help.
• Adapt gradually and start with easier sessions.

1. Check the forecast and the official warnings for your area.
2. Pick a cool time of day and a route with shade.
3. Carry water, a cap, sunglasses, sun protection and lightweight, light-colored clothing.
4. Tell someone your route and your return time.
5. Start easy and adjust your pace to how you feel.
6. Stop at any warning sign.

Also go through the checklist for heading out to train alone. If your session is a long WOD such as the Murph WOD, that guide explains how to pace it and handle the heat.

• Early morning or late afternoon.
• Avoid the middle of the day, with more sun and more heat.
• Pick routes with shade and water points.
• Humidity and wind change how the heat feels: check the full forecast.
• If there is an official heat warning in your area, train indoors or rest.

• Start the session already hydrated.
• Sip during the workout.
• Carry more water than you think you need, especially on routes without fountains.
• Replace fluids when you finish.
• On long outings, consider replacing salts too.

How much and what to drink depends on the person. If you have a medical condition or take medication, ask your doctor.

• Choose a pace that lets you talk.
• Lower volume and load in the first days of heat.
• Avoid maximal efforts and weighted vests on the hottest days.
• If your WOD is very demanding, move it indoors or scale it.
• Take breaks in the shade whenever you need them.

• Dizziness or feeling faint.
• Nausea or a severe headache.
• Confusion or trouble speaking clearly.
• Very hot, dry skin, or excessive sweating.
• Strong cramps, or breathing or heartbeat that do not settle when you stop.

1. Stop right away. Do not try to finish the set.
2. Find shade and sit or lie down.
3. Cool your body with water, wet clothing or air. If you are conscious, sip water.
4. Tell someone.
5. If you do not improve quickly, or there is confusion or loss of consciousness, call your country's official emergency number (112 in the European Union).

• Start with shorter, easier sessions and build up gradually.
• Train at similar times so your body gets used to it.
• Rest more when the heat is intense.
• If you return after a break or travel somewhere hotter, start easy again.

Zoku Athletics has SafeTrack for your outdoor sessions: if you stay still, it asks whether you are OK and, if you do not answer, opens your messaging app with your location ready for your emergency contacts. It depends on GPS, battery, signal and permissions, and it does not call 112.

Vital Flow adjusts the load to how you arrive: if you report feeling tired, it lowers the demand of the workout. It is indicative.

The app is not public on the stores yet. It is in testing and there is no launch date.

The Free plan is free, with no card and no expiry. Pro and Elite are paid; what each includes is shown in the plans section of the home page.

Who is behind the website and the app: About Zoku Athletics.

• Training in cold, mountains and rain: How to train outdoors in the cold, in the mountains or in the rain: layers, visibility, pace, terrain, phone battery and how to share your route.
• Checklist before training alone: A practical list before heading out to train alone: route, emergency contacts, battery, weather, ID and how to start SafeTrack in the app.
• Training alone outdoors: safety checklist: A safety checklist for training or running alone outdoors: what to tell people, how to choose emergency contacts and what alert apps can and cannot do.
• Training outdoors in the Canary Islands: A guide to training outdoors in the Canary Islands: heat, sun, calima, volcanic terrain and how to share your route; what to check before heading out.