It is really hot in the Summer and as much as we all love the nice sunny warm weather I also know that some hydration tips may be needed for all of us. The heat can take a toll on us but the kids are the worst because they will avoid drinking until it is to late.
Anyway don’t think that just because you are not thirsty that you are still hydrated. Our bodies are very slow to alert us through thirst that we are dehydrated and when it gets really hot you can become dangerously dehydrated and get heat exhaustion or sun stroke very easily.
Hydration Tips
So here are my hydration tips for a long day out in the Summer:
1. Bring suntan lotion – put lotion on 20 minutes before hitting the sun and reapply every couple hours. Wear some factor 30 or above. Worked great for us.
2. Drink lots of water – This is probably the most obvious hydration tip. We bring lots of water and drink a lot of water throughout the day and this is a real focus as parents to push it to our kids.
Kids love pop or soda and avoid water but they are sweating out water all day and the water helps keep their internal temperature down as well as avoiding dehydration.
3. Brink lots of fruit and veggies – We brought a backpack full of fruit and vegetables and the kids love eating them.
There are always mini donuts and lots of junk on the fairgrounds so having a core of good food in the backpack makes sure that we all feel better through the day.
My wife and I will go out with the kids for a day and will take baggies full of watermelon, peppers, apples, nectarines, grapes, and even mini cucumbers.
4. Wear a hat – It is amazing how quickly we can lose moisture through our head and just like in Winter when you wear a hat to keep in the heat you can also keep in the moisture on a hot summer day.
5. Wear light color clothes – Dark clothes tend to absorb heat keep you hotter and light clothes reflect off the light and keep you cooler.
Also wear clothes that are lighter material so that they will breathe better and allow you to wick away heat instead of trapping it in your clothes.
6. Find shade – It may seem like an obvious hydration tip but on a hot day it is a good idea to plan to have access to shade.
Stay in areas where there are trees or other shade so that you can feel cool when you need it. Staying near water is good as well although often not as easy to find.
These are just a few simple hydration tips but even this weekend a little planning ahead will help you out to feel better and more healthy in the hot Summer sun.