A few folks have been feeling a little self conscious in class about how hot and red they feel during exercise and have wondered:

Why do I feel or look so hot and red during exercise?

Feeling very hot or flushed during exercise is something many people notice when they return to movement after time away, during an intense session, or for ladies, during the latter part of the menstrual cycle, perimenopause or menopause.

The good news is: getting hot during exercise is completely normal, and there are several reasons why it happens.

When you exercise, your muscles generate heat. Your body has a clever cooling system designed to regulate temperature by increasing blood flow to the skin and producing sweat. The redness you see is often simply blood vessels near the surface of the skin widening to release heat.

After a break from exercise, this cooling system can become a little less efficient for a while. Fitness levels may have dipped slightly, meaning your heart and lungs have to work harder at lower intensities. As a result, you can feel hotter more quickly and stay hot for longer.

Your nervous system also plays a role. If you’re anxious about returning, worried about keeping up or feeling self-conscious, adrenaline levels can rise. Adrenaline increases heart rate, circulation and body temperature — making you feel flushed or overheated before you’ve even done very much.

Hormones can amplify this effect too. During certain phases of the menstrual cycle, as well as during perimenopause and menopause, the brain becomes more sensitive to temperature changes. Even a small rise in body temperature during movement can trigger flushing, sweating or sudden waves of heat as the body tries to cool itself more quickly. What once felt manageable can suddenly become: “Why am I boiling already?!”

Other factors that can make you feel hotter than normal include:

• deconditioning after illness, injury or stress

• poor sleep

• dehydration

• drinking alcohol the day before

• caffeine or pre-workout drinks

• exercising in a warm room

• jumping back in too hard, too soon

The encouraging part is that the body adapts surprisingly quickly. As you become more consistent with exercise again, your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient, your cooling response improves and movement begins to feel easier. Confidence often grows alongside this, anxiety reduces and the feeling of overheating usually settles too.

This is why gentle re-entry matters. You do not need to force yourself back into fitness.

There are many ways to begin again gently. Walking is free, accessible and even 10–15 minutes a day makes a difference. Mobility-based classes such as Purestretch can help joints and muscles reawaken in a low-impact, supportive way. Cardio classes like Clubbercise can be done entirely at your own pace with low or no impact — you do not have to leap around! If you attend strength classes such as LIFT, you can reduce your weights or simply use body weight while your body readjusts. Gradually building intensity allows your body to recalibrate without overwhelming it.

Feeling hot during exercise does not automatically mean you are unfit or failing. More often, it is simply your body adapting, protecting you and rebuilding capacity.

Sip water. Bring a mini fan. Take breaks when needed. Judgement free. Pressure free.

Or embrace the heat!! Yes - I go red! I glow in the dark 😆

Xxx Laura