I don’t think I can take this heat much longer. Even though it will be a few more months before Florida cools down, I’m losing it. Ninety degrees, eighty eight degrees every day. Taking into account that I bike for five miles, train for two hours, and then bike for five miles, I hope you can empathize with my pain.

Even things as simple as stepping outside to take my dog to use the bathroom is awful. I have to wear three or four shirts every day just because the shortest trip outdoors leaves them drenched with sweat. The easiest outdoor tasks have become massive undertakings for me under the sun’s assault. And that’s not to say I’m not used th hot weather. I’ve lived in the American south my entire life. This summer is just…worse. Not to mention the sheer amount of storms that never seem to cool down the weather. No, they just make my life work by making sure that my next few days will be humid and miserable.

Anyway, this is a really long, rambling way for me getting around to today’s subject. Today I’ll be looking at hot weather’s affect on your body, and how you can get what you need done outside.

How hot weather affects your body

We all know that the extra heat takes it’s toll. Now we’ll go into some of the ways that happens.

Your heart works harder than normal

Have you ever noticed that you can go for miles in the winter, but cutting the lawn in the summer brings you to your knees? Well, that’s because of hot weather’s effects on your heart rate. To start with, if you live in a city with smog, the hot weather is going to make that more widespread. So pollution will be dragging down your cardio.

But otherwise, your heart is just working overtime when you’re getting beat on by the sun. It’s working so hard because it’s pumping overly hot body from your core to the surface of your skin to keep you cooled off. And there’s not much you can do to stop your heart working so hard. When it comes to hot weather exercise, you’ll just have to generally increase your fitness levels to keep your heart strong enough to cool you down.

Bug bites

This is probably the worst part about living in Florida during the summer. The weather is warm, the sun is out, you want to spend time outside. Be it just hanging out and swimming, or working in a garden. Hell, even a nice BBQ if the day isn’t too hot.

But there’s going to be one major pest that you deal with the whole time. And that’s mosquitoes. Summer is the time where they really bloom and come out. They mature faster in warm weather, so that means they die faster. Naturally, the little bastards then try to find a blood meal as quickly as possible to keep their gene pool going.

If you go outside, cover up your arms and legs. I know it’ll just make you hotter, but it’s better than ending up with Zika or West Nile Virus.

You don’t sleep as well

Think about it. In the wintertime, it’s more comfortable in your house. During the summer, you either have to crank the A.C. to the point that it’s chilly or doom yourself to sitting in a puddle of your own sweat.  Not only that, but neurologists and sleep specialists agree that most people sleep best when the temperature is from sixty to sixty five degrees.

The magic number on the thermostat can also help you sleep better. Lower bedroom temperatures and cranking up the A.C. can actually help you catch some more Z’s.

What to do about it

So when the weather heats up, what should you do? We’ll start with the obvious.

Stay. Hydrated.

When it gets hot out, make sure you drink enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Water rich foods will help as well, such as lettuce, watermelon, and grapefruit.

It’s surprisingly easy to lose a few pounds of water weight through sweating. Weigh yourself before and after working out, and replace each pound of weight loss with 2 to 3 cups of water. Water is a good choice because it moves quickly through your digestive track and into your tissues. If you’re sweating heavily or exercising for more than 60 minutes, sports drinks can help your body refuel and rehydrate more efficiently.

Dress for the weather

When you’re out working in the yard in hot weather, make sure to wear light colored clothes that’s good at wicking sweat away from your body. And make sure to wear sunglasses if you can.

Also, don’t forget sunscreen. Make sure the screen you choose is water resistant, and broad spectrum. Apply it about fifteen to thirty minutes before going out. Remember, sunburns not only can lead to skin cancer, but lessen your body’s ability to cool itself down. Hot weather usually comes with increased sunshine, so always be sure to take good care of your skin.