Summer running in Abu Dhabi: taking your runs indoors

Your body has to shed the heat that running produces. WHO's heat fact sheet explains that high temperature, high humidity, low wind and strong sun all make that harder, and that the strain of cooling also stresses the heart and kidneys. It names athletes among the groups exposed to exertional heat stress. The NHS adds people who are physically active outdoors, such as runners, cyclists and walkers, to its list of those most at risk in a heatwave.

Abu Dhabi's coastal humidity adds to the load on many summer mornings. The practical answer for most runners is to bring the bulk of the week inside. For the treadmills and bikes at one club, see RPM's cardio area. If you are still picking a gym for the hot months, the summer gym checklist covers parking, cooling and freezes.

A 2019 review of 34 crossover studies compared the same runners on a motorised treadmill and on the ground. At steady paces, oxygen use was similar. Heart rate and perceived effort ran higher on the treadmill at faster steady speeds and lower at slower ones, and endurance time trials were poorer on the belt. The deeper comparison of mechanics, terrain and motivation lives in machine versus outdoor cardio.

• Avoid strenuous running during the hottest time of day, as WHO advises, and keep any outdoor run easy and short.
• Check the National Center of Meteorology's forecast and warnings map first, and stay informed about official heat warnings.
• Pick shaded routes, wear light, loose clothing and drink water regularly, all points in WHO's and the NHS's heat advice.
• Tell someone your route, or run with a friend, and carry water rather than relying on fountains.
• If you have a heart condition or another medical condition, or take regular medication, ask your doctor about exercising in hot weather.

• Keep your usual running days and slots, so summer changes the venue but not the routine.
• Log treadmill runs by time, speed and effort, then compare like with like through the season.
• Give yourself a goal for the cooler months, such as a race, so the summer has a purpose.
• When the forecast eases, start the first runs back outside by effort rather than pace, since effort did not match between belt and ground in the 2019 review.

Choosing between the machines themselves? The treadmill or bike comparison weighs joint impact and how intervals run on each.

RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with free on-site parking and a lift up to the club. The photos show treadmills, cross-trainers and an upright bike along tall windows, and spin bikes in the functional area. The women-only Ladies section has cardio equipment of its own. Opening runs from early morning to late evening, with shorter Friday hours, as shown below.