Too hot to handle?
As temperatures soar, try these 5 tips to beat the heat and maintain your mileage
At 17.2°C, July 4 was the hottest day on earth ever recorded. If 17.2 doesn’t sound that hot, I’ll put it in context: this was the global average.
Here in southwestern Ontario, the humidex hit 38 degrees. It was almost impossible to walk, making me impossibly cranky as my mileage plummeted from 7 km a day to a short trot around the block.
When the weather’s too hot to handle, what’s a passionate pedestrian to do?
Don’t hit the hammock just yet. From walkin’ it old school (parasol, anyone?) to wacky and wonderful ways to use watermelon, these five tips can help you beat the heat.
Tip 1: Put a lid on it.
One of the most conventional ways to stay cool is to keep the sun off with a good hat. My favourite floppy bucket hat shades my whole face and neck. For dressier days, I like good old-fashioned straw. You can’t beat a wide brim, natural fibre and a loose weave — a stylish combo that keeps the sun off and provides airflow, too.
Then there’s one of the most unconventional, by today’s standards at least — a parasol. This beauty caught my eye at our local Pioneer Village gift shop. People have used parasols for centuries. Why not try it? Turns out they’re not wrong: the wide coverage shades your whole body, from face to knees.
It’s surprising and delightful too. More than once, people have stopped to tell me they love it. It feels a bit like a secret weapon: cute, effective and makes people smile.
Tip 2: Cover it up.
Hot on the heels of tip number one (wear a hat) is to cover up even more skin. My go-to is a super-light, hip-length black t-shirt.
After many years as a work staple under a blazer, it’s now my walking staple, popped on top of whatever I’m wearing that day.
Besides keeping the sun off, it prevents backpack rash on your nice clothes for you walk-to-workers out there.
Other good alternatives? A loose-fitting, long-sleeved button-up shirt gives a little more airflow. And if you’re out for a sweaty fitness walk, there’s smartwool or SPF-rated technical shirts that provide full coverage, and wick away sweat at the same time.
Tip 3: Get by with a little help from your friends.
I’m lucky to be part of an online writing group and many of these folks are avid walkers, too. We’re in good company. From Thoreau to Toews, writing and walking just seem to go together like coffee and conversation.
So I asked my writing peeps: how do you maintain your mileage when the temperature soars? To a person, they said: when the mercury goes up, the mileage goes down.
Although they sure had some good tips to stay cool.
One memoir and fiction writer who lives on Canada’s west coast deals with everything from extreme humidity to wildfire smoke. Her trick is to winkle a family member out of bed at 5:30 a.m. for a walk before it gets too hot. Daphne Grey-Grant, group leader and Publication Coach, heads to a leafy forest close to home.
Both also admitted to skipping their daily walk altogether and retreating to a shady tree with a good book. But as professional writers, neither can stay there all summer so they employ some good office hacks too.
Daphne’s lucky to have a treadmill desk but unlucky it’s located in a devilishly hot, top-floor home office. She works as fast as possible in front of a fan and a bowl of ice. She also pops her sheets in the freezer, putting a new twist on a good night’s sleep.
The other writer’s heat-hack is… fruit. The other day she wrote with an eight-pound chilled watermelon on her lap — not exactly practical for walking, unless you chop it into chunks and make ice cubes.
More on that, next.
Tip 4: There’s nothing wrong with being basic.
Water bottle. Pack. ID. Charged phone. Along with good walking shoes, these basics work for any walk whether it’s 90 degrees in the shade or minus 20 in the sun.
Now, how do you lighten the load, especially when it’s hot?
First, try a smaller water bottle. I usually walk for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half, and a tiny 8oz kids’ water bottle works great. Add watermelon ice cubes from Tip 3 above and you’ve got a snack along the way.
Next, match your pack to your walk. A fanny pack that goes around your waist — thanks 80s revival — will hold at least your wee water bottle, ID and phone. Speaking of ID, whether you’re carrying a fanny pack or schlepping all the gear you need for school or work, bring a visible card that says ‘my name is ___ in case of emergency call ____’ just in case you succumb to heatstroke.
Finally, lighten the load mentally, too. Stash your cell phone and simply focus on the sights and sounds around you. Walking can be about escape sometimes, not fitting in one more podcast, checking for texts, or running errands. That being said, some of my best writing happens when I’m out for a walk. Dictating a text message to myself sure is handy.
And inside those walking shoes? Try wool socks. I know it sounds crazy on a hot day, but they naturally wick away moisture, keeping your feet cool and dry. They also come in every style, from no-show for running shoes to knee length for hiking boots. Sure, they’re an investment — and worth every penny because they last for years.
Tip 5: Know when to fold ‘em.
Sometimes the weather really is too hot to handle.
Seniors and kids have the hardest time adapting to extreme heat, which can lead to heatstroke and even death. So, if you’re on the high side of 50 like me, listen to what your body is telling you — and that might be to give your walking routine a break.
Personally, there’s nothing I like better on a stinking hot day than hopping on my trusty 3-speed and heading for the bike path. Zooming along on two wheels delivers a breeze better than air conditioning and a view virtual reality can’t beat — in my case, a winding river, green cathedral of 60-foot trees, other cyclists and pedestrians (even one with a parasol!).
No bike? There are lots of other cheap-and-cheerful ways to beat the heat. Find a friend with a pool (free), head to your local lake (sometimes free), or check out a City splash pad (also free) or City pool (minimal cost, and often free if there’s an extreme heat event).
No water? If you’re lucky to have air conditioning or a cool basement, roll out your yoga mat for some vinyasa. Or, dust off those free weights you bought during the pandemic and get back to your at-home routine (ahem, note to self).
Pick up the pace.
Remember July’s record for the hottest day ever? We surpassed it in August. In fact, scientists say 2023 is already the hottest year on record.
I can believe it. In Northern Africa and India this summer, the combination of heat and humidity created 50-plus degree days, making outside uninhabitable.
After a few 38-plus degree weeks here in southwestern Ontario, we’re greeting each other with “chilly, eh?” while forest fires rage on Canada’s hot and dry West Coast and water bombers work in the far north to maintain a safe perimeter around Yellowknife.
Paulo Ceppi, a senior lecturer in climate science, says one of our greatest superpowers as human beings is our ability to adapt.
Even so, we can’t heat-hack our way out of this.
Ceppi stresses the accumulation of extreme heat events this summer are a wake-up call — and a chance to act. We’re continuing to emit large amounts of greenhouse gases and this is continuing to drive global warming, he said in a recent interview with CBC radio. “And the only way to bring this to a halt is to bring emissions of CO2 down to zero.”
As a single pedestrian, even a passionate one, it’s easy to throw up your hands and say what can I do?
As just one example, lots. By choice and by luck, I live in a community that’s walkable to local shops and work. I walk or bike for everyday tasks or take public transportation when I can’t. As a non-driver, I rely on the kindness of family, friends and coworkers for longer trips and compensate with gas money, meals, or coffee. I choose less: buy less, buy local, buy quality and make it last.
Still, I know none of these are enough.
Real change happens at all levels of government and it’s time to push elected reps to commit to policies and practices that will get us to zero emissions.
We can’t wait any longer.
