Is this scene all too familiar on your way to work?
Yes? I thought so. We’re all painfully aware that the weather at the moment is rather warm. I hate to complain about it because the second it rains we whine even more, but by God it is sweaty out there.
What’s worse is that we are even starting to get to the point where we actually want the gorgeous weather to kindly f*$% the hell off.
I LOVE THE HEAT. Not
So what can we do to keep cool in the heat? Whether you’re on the morning commute, off out for the evening, or trying to get some shuteye, here are my top tips for keeping the sweat at bay.
1. Ice Ice Baby
One of all my all time favourite ways of staying cool when the temperatures hit melting point is placing something extra cold against my wrists. I freeze a bottle of water at night (and during the day too!) for my commute to work in the morning. As a Londoner, taking the tube in this heat is pretty horrific - it was reported the other day that tube temperatures had exceeded the maximum limit of 35 degrees that is acceptable to transport livestock. But clearly humans are ok!
If you dont have an ice pack or frozen water bottle, run your wrists under the cold tap instead.
The wrist is the thinnest distance between the skin’s surface and the vessels below, so holding something cold against them for even a minute can cool the blood as much as 10% as it courses around your body, cooling you down. You can really feel this one working, and better yet - it gives you a great excuse to buy a frappacino.
These are your body’s pressure points where the blood vessels are closest to the skin
2. Shower time
At nighttime, one of my favourite methods for helping me sleep is taking a cool shower before bed. Now, you must make sure it isn’t a cold shower, as that may invigorate you and keep you up. Make sure it’s cool and wash with a menthol/mint or tea tree body wash as these help natural cool the body further. If you’re lucky enough to have a fan in your room, this blowing on menthol-washed skin will feel amazing. I have my Dyson Airblade whirling all night and I love it. It’s also a heater so great for the winter too.
3. Should I sleep naked to keep cool at night?
This is something many people do when it’s simply too damn hot, but it surprisingly isn’t the best thing for you. As you sweat, clothes help wick it away and keep you cool, if you’re naked, the sweat builds up and drips down you, making your sleep uncomfortable. Also, your feet need to be kept warm; cold feet are often the culprit of a bad night’s sleep, so pop on some trainer sock. I wear my Falke liners, some small, loose cotton jersey shorts and a racerback vest. Perfect.
Look, Ma! I’m Beyonce!
4. The soundtrack to your sleep
When exercising, listening to rhythmic, upbeat tempos has been shown top increase energetic output and performance by 35%, so when you’re trying to keep cool you’re favourite dance floor drum beat isn’t the call of the day. Listening to something chilled or acoustic to mellow your thoughts and calm your heart rate.
Whale sounds optional
5. Fabric choice
It the hot summer weather, it’s important to make sure you’re wearing breathable fabrics like cotton and linen. These lightweight styles wick sweat away while helping to keep the body cool. As fashionable as it is, this isn’t the time for leather jerseys and nylons. Swap jeans for lighter cotton trousers.
What do you do to stay cool? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter
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