It’s getting hot – really hot – and it’s only going to get hotter. As the temperature continues to rise, it’s important for everyone to be aware of those around them and take action to keep your body cool. Follow these simple tips to keep everyone at the perfect temperature to enjoy everything in the summertime Chi.
Disclaimer: Check on the young, elderly, and non-human. Please, we all know how hot a Chicago summer can really get. Be a good Chicagoan and check on those around you to make sure they are handling the heat effectively. Look in on the elderly and make sure their air is on and see if they need any extra fans or supplies. Plus, they may even give you some candy or something. Check on young ones and pets too please.
Eat cold foods and drink lots of water. A popsicle, ice cream, salads, gazpacho – there are tons of cold foods and they will help keep your body temperature regulated during times when the oven that is “the outside” is trying to bake, broil, and roast you. Don’t eat too heavy, graze instead to keep yourself light and your temperature easily regulated.
While 8-10 glasses a day may be enough, you’re most likely sweating through your shirt just reading this, so up the ante and shoot for 12 glasses a day. It doesn’t have to be just plain boring water either, add some light lemonade mix, or any other flavor to the drink. Just drink it.
I also encourage you to stop by every corner lemonade stand you can. It’s hot out and these kids are trying to earn a buck. You’re thirsty – so help yourself while helping them.
Keep the house dark and enjoy some free A/C. Close the blinds and shut off all the lights in the house. Keep your air conditioner set around 78 degrees, and leave. Yes leave the comfort of your air conditioner for a place where you can enjoy the weather, or has its own free air conditioning – the point is that these places keep you cool and cost you nothing, while still allowing for some summer enjoyment.
If you must stay in the house, turn down the A/C and turn on a few fans. Fans costs pennies to run compared to an air conditioning unit.
If you’re a summer person and enjoy the outdoors – even in this dead heat – go to the beach and cool off in the lake, visit a water park, find a swimming hole, run through (or sit under) a sprinkler. You should definitively go old school and have a water hose, or water balloon, fight. You can even venture over to Millennium Park and have an oversized stranger’s face spit on you. My personal favorite – set up a giant Slip N’ Slide and invite all the friends over. Whether your 5, 15, or 50, a Slip N’ Slide never gets old.
If the sunshine and suffocating heat aren’t for you, come on over to Abt and sit in one of our massage chairs, eat a freshly baked cookie, and soak in all the free cold air we have flowing around. You can also go to one of Chicago’s amazing museums, catch a movie in a cold dark theater, or go to one of Chicago’s many ice skating rinks. Just escape the heat for a few hours a day.
That’s 12 ways to beat the heat – How are you staying cool during this Chicago summer? Let us know in the comments!
– Scott H.
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