Beat the Heat: How to Stay Cool in the Summer Sun

With temperatures soaring into the late 20s and early 30s in the UK, summer has truly arrived. But like much of our extreme weather, we never seem to be well-prepared and are often left struggling to cope.

Which is why we've put together a few quick tips for staying cool in the summer along as well as highlighting all the essentials you'll need during the next few weeks and (hopefully) months of warm weather.

Stay Hydrated

First and foremost, you'll need to maintain your water intake or make sure you’re drinking more during the day, especially if you find yourself out in the sunshine or working outside.

It's advised to drink every 15 minutes to stay hydrated, though this can be difficult during a busy working day or if you have lots of errands to run. Try keeping a water bottle with you and draw a line to mark exactly how much you would like to drink during the day (unless you have a bottle with a line already printed on). However you want to keep hydrated is up to you, just make sure to stock up on Highland Spring Still Water at home.

Avoid Alcohol & Caffeine

It’s a well-known fact that hot drinks with caffeine or even alcohol can dehydrate the body if consumed in excess. This means that drinking these on a hot day can end up removing more water from your body so you'll have to drink more to remain at a healthy level of hydration. 

You shouldn’t need to cut out alcohol or caffeine completely, but just reducing your intake will be enough. Keep your water bottle handy or use our Collapsible Drinks Dispenser so you always have flavoured water or juice ready for drinking at home.

Stay Out of The Sun

Prolonged time spent in direct sunlight can increase your temperature, make you dehydrated and can even leave you with sunburn if you don’t use sun cream!

As much as the sunshine is always welcome in the UK, it’s worth making sure you limit your time in the sun when temperatures peak, as you can easily become overheated or dehydrated. If you start to feel light-headed or queasy, it’s time to go inside or seek out some shade. Use our Blaupunkt 9” Desk Fan indoors to keep cool, or perhaps make a cold drink with our Reusable Ice Cubes - perfect if you have friends or family coming to visit too.

B&M Top Tip: there's nothing like a cold, refreshing beverage in the sunshine. Check out our Summer Smoothie Recipes for a quick, easy and refreshing way to cool the family down

Wear Thinner, Light-coloured Clothing

Depending on how long you find yourself outside for during the hottest part of the day will determine how you want to dress in such warm weather.

Normally shorts and a shirt, or a light summer dress will suffice as typical summer clothing, but in general you may want to think about thinner material and loose fitting clothes that are comfortable to wear. In addition, make sure your clothing is light-coloured and avoid black altogether as this usually absorbs sunlight and ends up making you hotter.

B&M Top Tip: DONT wear silk, wool or heavy cotton clothing...DO wear linen and lighter cotton garments to help you keep cool.

Exercise When it’s Cooler

Those who usually exercise on a daily basis will want to keep on doing so over the summer months, but will have to change how and when they do so to make sure they aren’t expelling too much energy during the hottest part of the day.

The sun is highest in the sky around midday so it’s worth exercising outside first thing in the morning or later on in the evening if possible. Generally it’s worth performing less strenuous activities towards the middle of the day, especially if you will be working outside. Try to take it easy during this time and stay in the shade as much as possible.

Are you keeping cool this summer? Remember to share all your best summer holiday pictures over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for everyone to see!