Tips for Avoiding the Heat and Keeping Your Body Cool

There are several easy ways to keep cool in the heat, and there are also a few things that you should avoid.

The most important thing to remember when trying to stay cool in the heat is to always stay hydrated. Even if you aren’t thirsty, drink water. The water replenishes what you are losing when you sweat.

When it comes to getting hydrated, there are two things you should try to avoid.

The first is extremely cold water. While it may seem refreshing when you are drinking it, it will actually make you hotter.

Your body will use up energy in order to make the cold water your body temperature. This energy being used will actually increase the heat in your body.

The second thing is to avoid sugary drinks. If you want to drink something other than water, the best thing would be to drink something filled with electrolytes such as Gatorade.

Another tip is to allow yourself to sweat. While most people hate to sweat, it actually will cool you down. Sweating releases heat from your body.

If you allow the sweat on your body to evaporate, possibly by standing in front of a fan, then your body will release some of the heat trapped inside.

Avoid socks and hats. By wearing socks or hats, you are only trapping heat inside of your body that would otherwise be released.

If you wear these for a short time, however, you can produce more sweat, possibly cooling yourself down.

There are two key points on your body that can help cool you off, your wrists and neck. Place a cold washcloth, an ice cube, or even pour cold water on your wrists and neck. You will notice an immediate change in your overall body temperature.

Of course, the relief will only last between five minutes and an hour, depending on how hot it is, but it is something that you can easily do anytime you get hot this summer.

Pouring a bit of cold water on the sleeves of your shirt, legs of your pants or around the neck of your shirt can also help keep you cool for a short period of time.

If you are going to go out in strong sunlight, wear loose clothes that will allow your skin to breathe. Wearing long sleeves can actually be helpful because it will keep your skin away from direct sunlight. Just make sure the sleeves are loose.

While inside, run as many fans as you can. Without any circulation, the air can become even hotter and create a very “stuffy” feeling.

If you have more than one story to your home, the bottom story should always be the coolest. Heat rises, so the top story is likely to be hotter than any lower story.

If it is extremely hot, you may consider eating several smaller meals as opposed to a few larger ones. Your body creates metabolic heat when taking in food. Smaller meals will lower metabolic heat. Of course, the best way to keep cool is to go jump in a pool, lake, river, or the ocean. If you don’t have access to any of these, a cold shower should do the trick.