When the temperature rises, it’s important to stay cool. When our bodies heat up, we lose more water through perspiration.
We need to maintain our natural water balance to function properly. So how do we stop sweating our body weight? Here are five simple ways to keep your cool when it’s hot, hot, hot.
Top tips to keeping your summer cool
1. Sip pure, chilled water little and often throughout the day
You knew we were going to say that, right?! This is simply the best way to stay ahead in the hydration game. You’re constantly losing water when it’s hot out, so it’s important to keep topping up. And we all know why we need to stay healthily hydrated. There shouldn’t be any need to guzzle pints at a time - that’ll only bloat you out and make you rush to the toilet.
We say to keep it pure because most additions, such as artificial flavouring, involve sugar - and you don’t need to risk all sorts of other health problems from too much of that stuff. We also say chilled water because research has shown that drinking water chilled to 6℃ is the best way to refresh after getting overheated. Handily enough, Our Taap lets you set the exact temperature for your water.
2. Stay out of the sun
Keeping out of the sun is one of the best ways to keep cool. Especially during 11am and 3pm which is the hottest part of the day. Remember that saying about mad dogs and Englishmen? Avoid exercising during these peak sunshine hours. You sweat more when you exercise anyway, let alone when the mercury’s even higher than normal.
3. Keep a reuseable water bottle to hand
If you’re out and about, make sure you've always got your reusable water bottle. Stainless steel flasks are best as they keep your water chilled on a hot day, which is essential if you’ve remembered to fill it from Our Taap before you leave the house. Here’s everything you need to know about storing water.
4. Make cool clothing choices
Wear the most appropriate clothing for the hot weather. Breathable fabrics are best as they’ll allow your sweat to evaporate. Anything that keeps your perspiration close to your body means you won’t cool off. We’ve all heard that white reflects the sun’s rays, but a study found that loose-fitting black fabric is the best at keeping you cool. Think desert-dwelling Bedouin. A wide-brimmed hat is another top fashion trick. Of course, wearing as little as possible and keeping your skin free to release sweat is best. Just slap on some broad-spectrum sunscreen that shields against both UVA and UVB rays.
5. Cool off in cool water
In a heatwave, sinking into cool water whether that’s at the beach, local swimming pool or even the garden paddling pool is always going to be the ideal. However, make sure that it isn’t too cold - this’ll trigger your body into preserving its heat, making you feel even warmer! If you haven’t got the luxury or time for a full-body dip nearby, then taking lukewarm showers and wearing wet clothes will help. Simply soak your top before you go out - if you don’t mind the odd double-take. It’ll soon catch on, honest. If you’re not that brave, then just a damp scarf around your neck will help, as will dipping your hands into cool water.
How else do we get dehydrated?
Your body is losing water all the time, even when you might not notice. Sweating is a clear sign of water loss, but the simple, continuous act of breathing also causes you to lose water - over a pint and a half a day! This is more obvious on a cold day when the water vapour you exhale becomes visible. Find out more about all the ways your body loses water.
How much water should I drink?
If we all drank enough water throughout the day, we might never feel thirsty. But how much water is enough? And can we drink too much water? There are lots of contradictory opinions on this, so we’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up all the latest evidence and arguments in our article here.
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a new subscription package to your basket, we will apply the first month free discount, which will be visible in your cart. So don’t worry if you don’t see it right away.
