Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Eat and drink to stay cool
• Method 2 of 5: Protect yourself from the sun
• Method 3 of 5: Dress to stay cool
• Method 4 of 5: Keep your house cool
• Method 5 of 5: Strategies to beat the heat
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Keeping cool in warm weather is a multi-faceted challenge. Some risks of getting too hot in hot weather include dehydration and various heat-related illnesses, including heat stress, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. Keeping your body cool also helps to calm your mood, as heat often exacerbates feelings of stress, tension and frustration. There are several simple and effective tools for staying cool in hot weather, and most of them are very affordable.

To step

Method 1 of 5: Eat and drink to stay cool

1. Stay hydrated. Water is essential to keep you cool in hot weather. Water keeps your body cool and you should drink even when you are not thirsty. It is okay to also drink commercial drinks (such as vitamin water) or sports drinks such as Powerade or Gatorade, but they are usually not necessary unless you want to consciously replenish vitamins / electrolytes lost through exercise.
   • The best way to check your hydration level is to measure the color of your urine. Anything darker than straw is likely an indication that desiccation is visible on the horizon and that water is needed.
   • Stay away from sugary drinks such as soda; they reduce your body's ability to store water. Also stay away from alcoholic drinks, coffee, and caffeine-rich drinks, which are natural diuretics.
2. Don't wait to drink until you're thirsty. Drink plenty of water before doing any activities. Waiting too long can cause cramps, which is a sign of heat-related illness. Remind yourself to drink water often in one of the following ways.
   • Buy a durable water bottle or water bag that you can take anywhere and refill at any reliable water dispenser.
   • Freeze a bottle of water to take with you. It will be hard when you leave the house, but the heat will start to melt from the moment you take it out of the freezer. Wrap it in a towel to prevent the condensation from wetting other items in your bag.
   • Download a water drinking app on your phone. Set reminders and daily targets and keep track of when you last drank.
3. Choose cooling foods. Food can keep you cool if you make the right choices. Choose salads, fresh raw foods, vegetables and fruits. You have to take “As cool as cucumber” literally; it's almost 100% water, and provides you with hydration to keep you cool. Avoid eating meat and protein foods during the hottest time of the day as they increase metabolic heat production, which can contribute to water loss.
   • It may seem counterproductive, but eating spicy peppers can help cool you down. They make you sweat, which has a cooling effect.
   • Smaller meals can also help keep your core temperature low. Large meals make the body work harder to break it down.
4. Prepare food without using the oven or stovetop. Look for foods that don't need to be cooked or don't need heat to cook. If you really need to cook, keep the cool air in and the temperature low by using the microwave instead of the oven or stovetop. For example, you can heat frozen vegetables and cans of soup in the microwave instead of heating them on the stovetop.
   • Cold soups are great in warm weather. If you haven't tried them yet, warm weather is the excuse you need! The fact that they are often healthy is just an added benefit.
   • Make ice creams, slushies, frozen fruits, frozen yogurt and other frozen treats to help cool you down.

Method 2 of 5: Protect yourself from the sun

1. Stay out of the sun at the hottest time of the day. This common sense approach isn't always easy to implement by the time summer fun lures you, so it calls for repetition. Avoid mid-day activities as much as possible. In the warmer months it is better to take your exposure to the sun every day between 10am. and 4 pm. to limit. When you are outside at these times, limit your exposure as much as possible.
   • Schedule activities early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
   • Some people are extra sensitive to heat and should stay in cool places when it is hot, for example children, the elderly and people with health problems.
2. Use sunscreen! Although sunscreen does not necessarily have a cooling effect, the protective effect is very important in warmer weather. In addition to being painful and damaging, sunburn can also cause a fever and various signs of dehydration. If left unchecked, sunburn can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
   • Use at least SPF 15. If you plan to be outside for a longer period of time, SPF 30 is a better choice.
   • Reapply it often. Every two hours is recommended, but it should be refreshed more often if you swim or sweat a lot.
   • Spread about a shot glass of sunscreen all over your body.
3. Stay in the shade. Retire to the shade as much as possible. Taking breaks under trees works twice as well because trees release water into the air, which absorbs some of the heat. While shade doesn't actually lower the temperature, the lack of sunlight causes the temperature to feel up to 15 degrees lower.
   • When a cool breeze comes by, it can feel like another 5 degrees lower in the shade.
4. Splash water on your face. When it's hot and sunny outside, a dip in cold water is refreshing. It is not always possible to jump into a pool. Don't forget options without too much maintenance, such as sprinklers. You can also take a shower or bath with cooler water than usual to get the edge off.
   • Fill a spray bottle with pure water and put it in the fridge at home or at work. If you feel too hot, spray a fine mist over your face and body to cool yourself down quickly. Refill if necessary and keep refrigerated.
   • Make it a game to stay cool. Gather friends and run through the sprinklers. Throw water balloons. Have a water gun fight.

Method 3 of 5: Dress to stay cool

1. Wear lighter clothes. Lightweight, loose-fitting clothing will help you stay cooler. If it is light in color, it is even better as it better reflects the heat and sunlight. Shorts and short-sleeved shirts are a good choice. Something that lets the air pass freely, hitting the sweat on your body, works best. The following suggestions are specific ways that clothing can maximize your ability to stay cool:
   • Cotton and linen clothing can keep you cool and absorb moisture.
   • Clothes that allow the light to come through are a good choice. However, make sure to apply sunscreen when wearing really thin clothing, as the clothing does not provide good protection against the sun's harmful rays.
   • Synthetic clothing retains moisture, making the fabric feel heavier, sticking to your skin and blocking air circulation.
   • It has been found that working in environments with less humidity with short sleeves has a small advantage. Weigh the options of UV exposure with your choice of clothing.
2. Keep your head covered. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, one that covers both the top of your head and the edges of your ears enough. Shading will help keep you cooler. Choose a brim that is wide enough so that it also covers the back of your neck.
   • Light-colored hats can help keep you cool.
3. Wear breathable footwear. Depending on the activity, one shoe is more comfortable or more suitable than the other. Consider whether arch support, durability, and comfort are necessary, then choose the best breathable footwear for the activity.
   • Cotton socks are great, but moisture-wicking socks help keep your feet cooler.
   • Some running shoes are designed with the summer months in mind and provide ventilation in various styles.
   • Be careful if you want to go barefoot. Many artificial trails get unbearably hot in hot weather and can burn your feet.
4. Choose functionality over style. Wear fewer accessories in hotter weather. Metal accessories can heat up quite a bit and less is always better when it comes to staying cool. Other clothing accessories can make clothing heavy and retain heat and moisture. If you have long hair, pull it up and out of your face and body, allowing the wind to blow down your neck.

Method 4 of 5: Keep your house cool

1. Use fans. While the efficiency of fans in extreme heat is debatable, research has shown that fans are useful up to 36 degrees Celsius at 80% humidity, and 42 degrees Celsius at nearly 50% humidity. Whether hand-powered or electric fans, they can keep you cool by constantly circulating the air. In your home and office, place fans in rooms where you work and rest to allow air to circulate freely and to reduce the stuffiness of the heat.
   • Try your own swamp cooler to make. These evaporative coolers can lower the temperature considerably. They range from simple (for example, a container of cooled water for a fan) to semi-complex. With just a few PVC pipes, a bucket, an electric fan and 3.7 liters of water you can create wind of about 5 degrees Celsius. However, don't forget that swamp coolers don't work with humid heat.
   • A fan should not be the main source of cooling in extremely hot weather. Fans work well, but only when it is not too hot.
2. Use air conditioning. Even if your home doesn't have central air circulation, placing a small air conditioner in a room in the house can help keep it cool in the summer. For example, you can put the air conditioner in the room where you spend the most time, such as the living room, kitchen, or your bedroom.
   • You can also run the air conditioner at the most comfortable temperature to keep your electricity bill from getting sky high.
   • Visit public buildings if you don't have a suitable air conditioner in your home. A few possible locations to avoid the heat:
   • The library is a good place to cool off and learn new information.
   • Supermarkets have good air conditioning. And if it is particularly hot, go to the freezer section and check it out for a while.
3. Close curtains and blinds. The sun's rays are converted into heat. You need to keep the sun's rays from entering your house in every way you can to keep the temperature down. Closing curtains, lowering blinds or even sealing windows can significantly reduce the heat in the house and keep it cool. Screens also work well, as they keep the direct heat off the windows without blocking all of the light.
4. Minimize the effect of sunlight on your roof. By changing the color of your roof you can lower the temperature in the house. Cooler colored roofs are about 10 degrees cooler in hot summers. You can apply a special coating to your existing roof to lighten the color, or replace the traditional dark roof tiles with a lighter color.
   • If you are interested in a special treatment for your roof to lower the temperature in your home, contact a roofing specialist to learn more about your options. You can wait to replace your roof before making these changes.
5. Insulate well. Better insulation means less heat in the summer. If your house is very warm, you can cool down more easily with better insulation. Fewer cracks and ways for air to escape means that the cool air stays inside.
   • Make sure there is air between the insulation and roof material.

Method 5 of 5: Strategies to beat the heat

1. Plan ahead. Whatever you do outside, making a plan will help you cut down on unnecessary activity in the heat. Planning allows you to set time limits on your exposure to the heat each day and plan ways to minimize the effects of the heat before going in. Always make sure to stick to your time limits by setting priorities and putting off less important things until it's cooler.
   • When going on a hike, study the map at the start of the day and calculate the best route using as much shade as possible.
   • When you go for a swim, keep an eye on your time in the pool. It may seem like there is minimal sun exposure due to the cooling effect of the water, but if you stay in it too long without reapplying sunscreen or taking a break, you can get burned.
   • If you have to travel a lot on hot days in your vehicle, plan ahead by getting your vehicle inspected and making sure your air conditioning is working properly. If you notice that the temperature is not as cool as you would like it to be, take it away for maintenance. The car probably has too little Freon.
2. Check the weather forecast or news for updates. As part of your schedule, take the time to check the weather forecast. Nowadays a heat index is also given. The importance of this measurement is that it tells you how hot it feels outside, taking the relative humidity into account with the actual air temperature. Be aware that the heat index is calculated for shaded areas with light winds. If you are in full sun and there is strong wind, the heat factor can be up to 15 degrees higher.
3. Give yourself time to acclimate when traveling. Travelers often make the mistake of trying to be as active when they come to a country where it is warmer than they are used to. Acclimatization can take up to 10 days, depending on the temperature difference. Rather than putting yourself under pressure, give yourself time to acclimate to the new warmer environment, which means minimizing physical activity until the heat feels acceptable.
   • Once you get comfortable in the heat, gradually build up your physical activities until you are back to your normal level.
4. When working in the heat, slow yourself down. Take it easy, it's not worth pushing yourself when it's hot outside. Start gradually and continue slowly, paying attention to when the heat gets too much for you. Rest is an important way to deal with too much heat. During warm weather, you should not deny yourself the opportunity to rest when you get tired.
   • Things that require a lot of physical effort can be done early in the morning or later in the day.

Tips

• Make sure children get enough water and give them plenty of water in hot weather.
• Run cold water over your wrists for a few minutes, it will cool you down!
• Pour some ice cold water into your hat or cap, then put it on your head. It will cool your head quickly.
• Apply sunscreen over and over again according to the directions on the package. Always apply yourself to the sun 20 to 30 minutes before going out into the sun. Sunscreen must have an SPF factor of at least 15+, but no higher than 50+. Remind children to re-apply as they easily forget.

Warnings

• Never leave children or animals in a parked car in hot weather. Temperatures in a car or other vehicle can quickly rise and kill the occupants from hyperthermia. The bodies of children and pets heat up faster than those of adults. Take children and pets with you, even if you only park for a short time, otherwise leave them at home.
• Be aware that some objects become unbearably hot, such as seat belt buckles and steering wheels.
• You are more likely to be affected by hot weather if you are older, very young, obese, have an illness with a fever, poor circulation or heart disease, have a sunburn, or a mental illness.
• If you have signs of a heat-related illness, such as headache, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and / or nausea, stop what you are doing, find shade or an air conditioner, rest, and drink water. If these symptoms persist after cooling down, call your doctor. If symptoms worsen, call 911.
• If you experience more serious symptoms such as a fast heart rate, severe nausea and vomiting, difficulty breathing, a body temperature of 39 degrees or higher, excessive sweating, or red, hot, and dry skin, seek immediate medical attention (call 112).

Necessities

• Water and a water bottle / bag
• Lightweight, light-colored clothing
• Hat and sunglasses
• Sunscreen