While your sun-kissed tan and the joy of sunny days are truly delightful and can uplift your spirit, the scorching summer heat can sometimes be less than ideal for your overall well-being.
Choosing to venture outdoors on a hot summer day can be quite challenging. The intense heat and profuse sweating can quickly lead to dehydration and fatigue. To safeguard yourself from heat-related risks like heat stroke, it’s crucial to know what you should do to stay cool during the summer. After all, excessive heat production or absorption can lead to many serious health issues.
Read on below to learn these 5 effective strategies to combat the heat and keep yourself comfortably cool this summer!
1. Stay Hydrated
Ensuring your body can adapt to changing external conditions is important to ensure you can beat the heat. When adjusting to temperature changes, your body will produce sweat as a cooling mechanism.
To do this, water plays a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance, especially as it is so easy for our body to lose fluids through sweating. Regardless of weather, it’s recommended to consume 2 liters of water daily. But during the summer when the body loses water more rapidly, necessitating extra effort to stay hydrated is a must.
In summer, one easy way you can stay cool is to take a sip of ice-cold water. This is not only useful to combat the heat but to also maintain hydration. Cold water is absorbed more efficiently in hot weather, reducing the risk of heatstroke. If you are bored with plain water, you can opt for a hydrating drink like juice, coconut water, or any other water-rich fruit!
But do keep in mind that even though it is a must for you to take a sip of water regularly, it will be better for you to not consume tea and coffee as often during the summer. Nicotine and caffeine in tea or coffee can elevate body temperature by constricting blood vessels. This is the ultimate reason why you have excess sweating and feeling warmth. As mentioned above, it is best to opt for beverages like plain water, fruit juices, coconut water, or lemon water instead.
2. Avoid Going Out at 11 AM to 2 PM
Sunburn risks peak between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is hottest. If you want to minimize the chance of overheating and being exposed to the sun, it is best to avoid going out during this time around. Limit the chances of getting sunburn from staying outdoors too long. If you must be outside, then opt to wear appropriate clothing and use sunscreen. Don’t forget to reapply later every once in 3 hours.
3. Dress Wisely
To prevent excess perspiration, it is best to dress wisely during the summer. Opt for loose, breathable cotton clothing in light colors. At all costs, avoid dark, tight-fitting clothes. These two will absorb more heat, thus intensifying warmth and making you sweat profusely. Wearing proper outfits and protective accessories like hats and sunglasses – will help to properly shield your face from harmful UV radiation. Thus, it is best to check out hot summer sale shopping first to purchase your summer essentials!
4. Indulge in a Cool Sweat Treat
Another thing you can do to increase your hydration level is to indulge in sweet treats such as popsicles! Popsicles aren’t okay for kids. It can also be a delightful treat for adults who feel overheated and need to increase their hydration levels. The sweet taste, not to mention the cooling effect popsicles have can do wonders to help beat the heat.
Not only Popsicles, another sweet treat that will be best to consume during the summer strike is a smoothie. This is a great option if in case popsicles aren’t your thing. Smoothies are a healthier option that can provide the utmost hydration while at the same helping to lower your body temperature effectively.
5. Opt for Lukewarm Showers
The next strategy you can do is to take a bath with lukewarm showers. Indeed during the summer, cold showers seem refreshing. But, the truth is research suggests cold water might increase your body temperature. Instead, it is best to opt for warm showers, which require less energy for the body to adjust afterward.
If you want to feel the cold to beat out the heat, you can dip your toes in cold water quickly to lower your body temperature.
These are the ultimate strategies you can follow to vet the best and most fulfilling summer. By following the best tips above, you don’t have to worry anymore about heat-related issues, and can enjoy your summer to the fullest!