10 Hacks To Stay Cool In Hot Weather

We are not used to heatwaves in the UK. We consider 25C to be blistering hot. So when the temperature starts to climb towards the 30s we all have a meltdown, literally! Our infrastructure is not designed for extreme heat. We barely have any air conditioning in our workplaces and schools are like ovens. The only things we can do are open the windows, that barely open and put on a fan that just sends recycled warm air around the room. So how do we manage in the extreme heat? Well here are 10 hacks to stay cool in hot weather.

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Hacks to stay cool in hot weather – Drink loads and loads of water

However much water you are drinking in the heat, drink more! Dehydration is the major cause of heat sickness. If you feel thirsty you haven’t drunk enough water beforehand. It takes about two hours from your body needing water to you feeling thirsty. So as soon as you are feeling thirsty it is too late, your body needed that water two hours ago. So make sure you keep drinking water. To ensure you are drinking enough use a measuring bottle.

NB: Check your urine during the hot weather. It should still be light in colour and there should still be plenty of it. If it is dark or you are not urinating enough it means you are dehydrated.

Top Tip: Remember to top up your salts in the hot weather or you will get muscle cramps.

Use a cooling towel

For hundreds of years, people have used cold wet towels to help cool themselves down. Plenty of nurses have been pictured wiping a fevered brow on one of their patients, and it seems to work well. Nowadays a new invention has come onto the scene that helps keep the cloth colder a lot longer. It is a specially weaved microfibre cloth. All you need to do is soak it, and when it gets warm shake it out and it cools down. Voila! You can cool yourself instantly.

Hacks to stay cool in hot weather – Use a cold water bottle

To warm up in the winter you may use a hot water bottle. Well in the summer you can use the same bottle, but with cold water. Better still, use ice water. Fill the bottle with water and place it in your freezer for a few hours and then you have a nice cold water bottle to use. Place it on your feet to help reduce any swelling that may have occurred in the heat.

Keep your curtains closed

During the day keep your bedroom curtains closed and your windows closed if it is hotter outside than it is inside. When the sun has set and it has cooled down outside open your windows and curtains to keep cool at night time.

Hacks to stay cool in hot weather – Don’t exercise

Isn’t it funny how doctors and medical experts tell you to exercise all year round, but in the heat, it is best not to exert yourself physically? But that is true. Exercise raises your body temperature and you need to be careful not to overheat your brain (hyperthermia). Take walks in the early morning or in the evening and maybe go swimming, but don’t push your body too hard in the heat.

Avoid Alcohol

It is nice to have an ice-cold beer in the heat, but alcohol can cause dehydration and your body needs to have as much water as possible in order to sweat. So in the hot weather avoid alcohol or make sure you drink even more water to ensure you are able to sweat and keep cool.

Hacks to stay cool in hot weather – Park your car in the shade

Have you ever gone on a day out and parked your car in an open car parking space and when you returned it is boiling hot? It is so hot you feel you need to wear gloves to touch the scolding steering wheel. Always aim to park under a tree or in some sort of shade to keep your car cool as you are out and about. You can also use an insulating cover on your windscreen to protect your car from overheating inside.

WARNING! Never leave your child or pet in a hot parked car, even if you are just popping into a shop briefly. You don’t know how long you will be in the shop and sadly children and pets have died in hot cars.

Use Sun Cream

Don’t forget to slap on sunscreen in the hot weather. Smother yourself in the stuff. And smother your child in it too. Use waterproof sunscreen if you are going to an outdoor pool or the seaside. Remember to keep applying it. Sunburn is not fun and can ruin a holiday or a day out. Also, if you are sunburnt it will be harder for your body to cool itself down.

Top Tip: Pop Aloe Vera gel in your fridge to use as an after sun. It’s really cooling and refreshing for your skin.

Use a swimsuit that covers the shoulders for your child

I took Sops to a water park with a small single strap to cover her shoulders. Despite the amount of waterproof cream I slapped on her skin, she still burned her skin around the shoulders and neck. I now make sure she has a proper swimsuit that covers her shoulders and neck when I take her to the water parks or the beach.

Hacks to stay cool in hot weather – Wear Loose Clothing

Let your skin breathe. Let your skin sweat. Wear loose clothing where you can. See what people wear in hot countries, especially men, and buy similar clothes. Remember to wear white and light-coloured clothing as black attracts heat. Don’t forget to wear a sun hat too.

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