Beat the August Heat and Dog Days Blues

The height of summer leads many to the depths of despair, as these weeks bring with them the year’s most intense and unremitting heat. Welcome to the dog days of August.

The origin of the phrase, it should be noted, has nothing to do with weather. Rather, “dog days” refers to the one- to two-month interval in which a particularly bright star rises and sets with the sun, shining during daylight hours and hiding itself at night. The star is known by three names: Sirius, the Dog Star, and Alpha Canis Majoris. The timing of its appearance has led people for centuries to label the hottest part of the summer as “dog days.”

Trivia aside, August’s often-scorching temperatures can have a profoundly negative impact on people’s bodies and emotions. Here are a few tips for keeping cool in the warmest of all months.

Take A Dip: An obvious choice, to be sure, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Community pools, mountain lakes, waterparks, even that big blue ocean – there are plenty of places to go swimming, whether for recreation, exercise or both. Plan B: Do as children have done for decades and run through the sprinkler.

I’d Like to Buy a Towel, Please: Cooling towels first came into vogue as essential warm-weather golf accessories – what better way to keep your par and core temperature down on the back nine of a triple-digit afternoon? That was then, however, and today the towels have gone mainstream, with some brands even designed specifically for pets. Coming in different types of absorbent fabric, the towels give your body the sense of reducing body temperature through evaporation. Just soak in cold water, wring out and wrap around your neck for instant relief.

Plan Your Day: You can expect the hottest temperatures in the mid- to late-afternoon, so set your schedule accordingly. Really need to get in that five-mile run? Prioritize getting out there early in the morning. Home projects tugging at your sleeve? Handle them in air-conditioned comfort between noon and 5 p.m.

Avoid the Oven: We all have to eat but roasting a turkey at 325 degrees for several hours is not a good idea on a triple-digit day. Instead plan ahead to ensure you have the ingredients on hand for a nutritious no-cook meal. You will find plenty of recipes online and the resulting meals in many cases will be healthier than what you otherwise might have made.

Wear Something Cool: By cool, we’re not talking the latest fashions but breathable clothing. Most workout gear, for example, fits the bill, with its sweat-wicking material that pulls moisture away from the skin and dries quickly. Lacking that, consider loose-fitting clothes in light colors and opt for ventilated shoes or sandals that allow your feet to breathe.

Stay Hydrated: The importance of drinking loads of water cannot be overstated. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise Americans to drink plenty of water before and during physical activity and the continue to stay hydrated throughout the day. Being thirsty is actually an early warning sign of dehydration, so keep sipping that water even if you don’t feel you need it.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.