How Do I Train in Hot, Humid Climates?

Training in Phuket’s heat and humidity is one of the biggest adjustments for travelers coming from temperate climates, and underestimating it is probably the single most common reason people cut a trip short or get sick partway through. The fix isn’t toughing it out — it’s giving your body a real adaptation period and adjusting your training around the climate rather than against it.

Heat acclimatization genuinely takes time, typically 7-10 days of consistent exposure and training before your body meaningfully adapts — increasing sweat efficiency, expanding blood plasma volume, and improving your ability to regulate core temperature. Trying to train at full intensity from day one, before this adaptation has happened, is exactly when heat exhaustion and heat-related performance crashes occur. Scaling back intensity in your first week, even if it feels frustrating, sets up a much stronger second and third week.

Hydration needs increase substantially in heat and humidity, well beyond what feels intuitive if you’re not used to sweating this much. Plain water often isn’t enough on its own during heavy training days — electrolytes matter, since you’re losing sodium and other minerals at a much higher rate than in a cooler climate, and under-replacing them is a common cause of cramping, headaches, and fatigue that people mistake for just being unfit.

Timing your hardest efforts around the climate also helps significantly. Many camps schedule the most intense sessions for early morning or late afternoon specifically to avoid peak midday heat, and outdoor running in particular is far more manageable at these times. If you have any flexibility in your schedule, front-loading technical or strength work during the hottest part of the day and saving harder conditioning for cooler windows reduces unnecessary heat stress without sacrificing training quality.