Ways to Keep Your Body Cool in Summer

Not everyone is blessed with the ability to afford air-conditioning for their homes. During scorching summers, even the fans seem to spew hot air! Added to that, our ill-efficient power corporation is forced to carry out load shedding from time to time. Poor "common man" is left to bring out their "grandfather hand-fans" in the middle of the night when, out of the blue, "blackouts" happen. What if we told you that even during the scorching summers, it is possible to keep yourself cool by following these 8 simple steps!
1. Wet Your Pulse Points and Wrist

It is a great idea to wet your wrist and the pulse points with cold water. This would help in keeping your body cool. Ice wrapping in a face cloth would help you to preserve the coolness of the body for a long time. Extra care should be taken while using ice, because the ice on the raw skin could hurt you. Instead, it should be wrapped in a cloth before exposing it to the skin. According to a study, this will help in reducing the temperature of your body by 3 degree F which is equivalent to 1.5 degree C. One can feel the relief immediately, which will at least last for an hour or so.
2. Strategic Use of Fans

Fans can also help in keeping your body cool. Usually, ceiling fans are helpful in creating a pleasant breeze which would cool up the entire room. But you have to make sure that the fan is running in the right direction and in the right location. Sometimes, fans rotate in the opposite direction to create an updraft in the winter season. One thing has to be kept in mind while using ceiling fans is that the fans are used to keep people cool and not the room! Standalone fans are helpful in ensuring good air flow. It has the ability to concentrate on a particular spot. Another option is the DIY (do it yourself) wind tunnel. The cooling power of the natural breeze can be maximized by using one facing the wind and the other one placed on the opposite side.
3. Eat Cool

4. Home Cool Home
The next step is to prepare your home to battle the heat. The step in the preparation process includes planting trees in a strategic manner. If the house is beaten down by sun rays during hot summer, it would naturally get hot. So, planting some deciduous trees on the west side and on the east side of the house would help you to keep the house cool. On the other hand, the choice of the trees is also important. One should go for trees that can provide enough shade.

The next step is drinking and eating items that can keep you cool. It is not that you should drink water only when you feel thirsty, but you can drink water any time in order to prevent dehydration and to replace the fluids that are lost in the body. Electrolyte-balanced beverages are helpful in giving oral re-hydration. The electrolytes that are present in here are helpful in making sure that no vital minerals are wasted through constant sweating in hot seasons. 
5. Use Perspiration

Even ice can help you to retain the coolness of the body, but you have to avoid soft drinks and other sugary drinks. Cold water is advised when compared to ice because the body uses more amount of energy if the water is very cold in order to even out the body temperature. You should also concentrate on the internal temperature of the body as you concentrate on the external temperature. Even a nice cold cocktail could effectively cool up the body. One good option is to go for watermelon and cherry salad with fresh mint syrup. It is good to prefer microwave instead of "getting fried in ovens and stoves" during summer.

Using perspiration is another cool idea to keep yourself cool during summer. Perspiration initiates water vapor which is helpful in taking the heat away from the body. Put your sweaty self before a fan or chill breeze to cool up your body instantly.
6. Sun Burn

Research has shown that involving in regular physical work on a sunny day would naturally build the tolerance of the body to heat, thus helping to gain strength and function better even in hot weather. At the same time, indulging in running exercise at 3 o' clock in the afternoon is not a good idea. Instead of doing it under hot sun, you can opt for an air-conditioned room and save some sweat.

7. Cold Shower and Right Clothing

At night when the sun goes down, naturally the temperature outside would drop. At this time, the outdoor temperature would get lower than the temperature inside the house. At such times, air can be directed from outdoors to fill up the house using an attic fan or blowing fan fixed on windows to keep the house cool throughout the night.

A cold shower or a swim in the pool may sound obvious, but it has a whole lot of effect in cooling your body. Immersing yourself in the cold water would help cooling down the body temperature immediately. If you can't afford to go for a swim, other shortcut methods like ice-cubes and cold water can be used to keep the body cool.

Wearing the right kind of clothes is helpful in many ways to keep your body cool. With the hot sun burning above, it is a good idea to settle for cotton clothes to keep you cool. Wash clothes in cold water, which would help you stay cool! Light-weight clothes with less layers and light colors are better. Opting for collared, long-sleeved shirts is a good choice. Also, try soaking a casual T-shirt in water and wear it after wringing without drying! Wearing dark sunglasses will prevent the eyes from getting damaged by UV rays. Avoid wearing hat or cap indoors.

The art of keeping your body cool should not become the privilege of the affluent few. When you are successful at keeping your body cool, your work gets done in time and you get a good night’s sleep. As we all know, a mind well rested can take better decisions the next day. So, keep these tips handy to use when the mercury heads northward during summer!