Summer Heat: Remember to Take Care

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

09 May 2007 06:29 AM

Summer is almost here and with summer comes the heat, the sun and the outdoor activities. Many of us enjoy being outdoors in the summer time whether we are traveling, working on our gardens, riding our bikes or swimming. Whatever it is you enjoy about summer, it's the freedom to be outside and getting active. I love summer for those reasons, but there are precautions that you need to take where summer is concerned.

Precautions

The summer heat is wonderful, but heat means sweat and sweat means dehydration. You need to remember to hydrate on the best of days, but you need to pay particular attention to your hydration in the summer time. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass or two of water in the morning before heading out to your physical activities or exercise. Take a bottle of water with you and drink it regularly. Avoid heavy doses of caffeine because caffeine is a diuretic and can promote dehydration.

Another precaution you need to take is sunscreen. Sunscreen is important because it helps prevent sunburn and more pain. I prefer waterproof sunscreen, particularly for my daughter. When you spend a lot of time in the pool, the waterproofing helps reduce the chance of sunburn and the water washing the sunscreen off. Sweat can also reduce your sunscreen's coverage if you don't use waterproof sunscreen.

Take Breaks

As much as we love the outdoors, it's important to take breaks to avoid overheating. My daughter, for example, loves outdoor activities but without frequent breaks to cool down properly, she overheats. When your body overheats it can feel a great deal like a fever and leave you with waves of nausea and a nasty headache. Good hydration can help with overheating, but it's still important to take breaks. It's also important not to over hydrate, too much water can have as adverse an effect on you as not enough.

Also, try to avoid heavy physical activity in the high heat of the afternoon. The hottest part of the day here in the summer is around 2 to 5 in the afternoon. We like to siesta or snuggle up in the cool air conditioning with a good movie during this point in the day.

What other precautions can you take during the summer?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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