Advice offered for dealing with warm weather

• Pool

Brianna Darling/Daily Globe A boy goes down the water slide at the Worthington Area YMCA Monday night.

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WORTHINGTON — With the Fourth of July on Wednesday and the daily highs expected to be in the 90s through the week, the Worthington Area YMCA isn’t sure how much pool activity it will have the next few days.

“Sometimes when it’s really hot people choose to stay inside,” said Connie Carlson, the aquatics coordinator at the Y.

And with the National Weather Service issuing a heat advisory for the next few days, it’s important that people keep cool and hydrated.

The best option is to just stay inside with the A/C blowing full blast. But for those who simply can’t resist the great outdoors, certain precautions can and should be taken.

“Drink a lot of water,” said Jeff Grimmius, manager of the Beach Nook. “People probably get more soda than water here.”

And that isn’t a good thing. Sugary and alcoholic drinks end up keeping the body from absorbing all the water it needs.

Certain foods can also keep the body hydrated.

“We mainly have ice cream,” Grimmius noted.

But there are also more healthy options available. Cucumbers and watermelon consist of mainly water. Other fruits and vegetables such as apples, strawberries, celery, carrots and pineapples are great sources of hydration, too.

People should avoid wearing dark clothing, especially black. Dark colors attract more light, and ultimately absorb more heat. Light-colored, lightweight clothing is always best.

Hats are not the enemy. Sure, hat-hair might not be the most attractive look in the world, but it’ll keep your body cool and will protect your face from the sun. And if hat hair really drives you up a wall, take a cool shower. It’ll fix your hair and cool you off at the same time — kill two birds with one stone.

Always use plenty of sunscreen. It will help prevent sunburn and skin cancer.

Try to stay inside during the hottest hours of the day. Morning and evening hours will be cooler. Also, keep in mind who you are and who’s with you — young children, infants, the elderly, and those with health issues are at higher risk of heat-related illness.

Limit your amount of physical exercise. If possible, work out indoors with air conditioning. Go swimming, or take a water aerobics class.

“We have a water aerobics class outside,” Carlson said. “People like it. Lately, participation in that has increased.”

The Worthington Area YMCA — which will have both its indoor and outdoor pools open from 1 to 5 p.m. on the Fourth — tries to keep their lifeguards cool and hydrated.

“They have a 15-minute rotation, so they’re only outside for half an hour, and they have extra water when they’re outside,” Carlson said. “There are also 10-minute pool checks so we can hopefully catch the symptoms of heat exhaustion before it happens. We also encourage them to get into the pool to cool their bodies off.”

Signs of heat-related illnesses include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea and fainting.

Symptoms of heat stroke include: extremely high body temperature; rapid breathing; red, hot and dry skin; racing heart rate; confusion; and unconsciousness. Heat stroke can be fatal and requires immediate attention.

Carlson has been working at the YMCA for a year and has never had to deal with a case of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Daily Globe Reporter Brianna

Darling may be reached at 376-7321.

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