The heat can be a major drawback for people looking to work out in the summer. If you’re not careful, you can end up suffering from a heat-related health condition such as a heat stroke, heat exhaustion or extreme dehydration, all of which can greatly derail you from your fitness goals.
Fortunately, we have some tips to help you to safely work out on even the hottest of summer days.
Take a cold shower
Before your workout even begins you may want to take a cold shower. Once you finish your shower, ditch the blow dryer and opt for a wet head to help you to stay cool during your workout.
Stay hydrated with the RIGHT fluids
Water is your best friend on a hot day for staying hydrated; however, if you’re planning to exercise for more than 60 minutes, you may also want to consider sipping on a sports drinks.
Sports drinks are important when working out for prolonged periods of time, especially in the heat, because they contain potassium and electrolytes that can rehydrate and replenish your body. The high levels of sodium may actually be good for your body as well as sodium is a key ingredient for a hot day.
As with everything, moderation is key.
Wear light clothing
Bright colors are good since they will reflect the sun and also help to make you more visible to oncoming traffic. Cotton is a light-weight and affordable material that can help you to stay dry.
If you’re willing to splurge a bit more, opt for sweat-wicking shirts and shorts to keep the sweat at bay.
Don’t forget the sunscreen
Nothing is worse than trying to complete a summer workout with a bad sun burn that makes it hard to move. Stop the burn before it occurs by slathering on the sunscreen. Opt for s sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50 and one that is water-proof so that it doesn’t come off once you start sweating.
Timing is everything
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is known for being the hottest time of the day in the summer. If you’re planning an outdoor workout, try to do it either before or after this time slot.
Many athletes prefer to work out earlier in the morning as it can help them to stay energized throughout the day and to sleep better at night.
Don’t fear the water
Summer is the perfect time to make water your friend. On especially hot days, try adding a water activity to your workout such as swimming, surfing or Stand-Up-Paddle Boarding (SUP). These activities will help you to stay fit and healthy in the summer in a fun and new way while also staying cool. Who knows, you may end up finding a new favorite exercise.
Prefer to run instead? No worries, you can still get in on the water action. Next time you see what looks like a “rainy day”, opt to run with the rain rather than against it. Running during a rainy day can help you to stay cool and many athletes find these workouts to be invigorating and refreshing.
The key for successfully running in the rain is to be prepared. Wear bright clothing and make sure all of your clothing is water-proof (this includes shoes and accessories such as a cell-phone case). Avoid running around cars that may have trouble seeing you.
Running in a little bit of rain won’t harm you, but if you see lightening or hear thunder, you’ll want to return inside to safety as quickly as possible.
Take it indoors
There’s nothing wrong with working out indoors at your local gym or even in your home if you have equipment. On days when there is an excessive heat warning, this can be your best decision to stay cool and avoid a heat-related injury while still getting in your workout.
Know your limits
Listen to your body and if you begin to feel dizzy, nauseous, or tired, give yourself a break. Taking some time off for rest is better than overdoing your workout and getting sick or injured and having to stop working out altogether.
If the summer heat proves to be too much of a challenge for your standard high-intensity workout, break it up into multiple smaller workouts throughout the day. This will allow your body time to rest and refuel without jeopardizing your fitness and workout goals.
1 Spray inside of 6-quart slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. For the Chocolate Cake, prepare cake batter as directed on package, stirring in cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into greased slow cooker. Place towel over slow cooker and cover with lid.
2 Cook 2 hours on LOW or until cake is almost set.
3 For the Pecan Pie Topping, sprinkle pecans over cake. Beat remaining ingredients with wire whisk until smooth. Slowly pour over pecans. Cover.
4 Cook 10 minutes longer on LOW. Turn off slow cooker. Carefully remove slow cooker insert and place on wire rack. Cool 20 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Calisthenics are exercises that don’t rely on anything but body weight. They allow for the development of strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. Follow the guide in this article for a beginner’s routine.
Calisthenics are performed with differing levels of intensity and rhythm. Sometimes these exercises are done with light handheld tools like rings and wands.
Calisthenics were developed in ancient Greece and became popular again in the early 19th century. Today, fitness training athletes, military personnel, law enforcement officers, and people trying to keep in shape use these exercises for warming up for strenuous sports or to help build up their bodies. Scientists are also now studying the use of calisthenics to help treat various health conditions, from obesity to COPDTrusted Source.
Here is a calisthenics workout for beginners that works various parts of the body for a complete, full-body workout:
Perform the following exercise circuit three times, with a 30-second rest between each exercise set, and a three-minute rest between each circuit repetition.
Stand inside a dip bar and use your arms and shoulders to lift you off the ground.
Bend your elbows back using your tricep muscles to move you up and down.
If you do not have a dip bar, you can also perform dips off an exercise ball or bench by keeping your feet on the ground and knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
Grasp the jump rope handles and hold your hands roughly the same distance from the center line of your body.
Rotate the rope with your wrists — not your elbows or shoulders — while jumping off the ground about one to two inches into the air, clearing the rope.
As you jump, keep your toes pointed down and a slight bend in your knees.
Calisthenics exercises require a person use their own body weight to perform strength-training movements. Weight exercises, on the other hand, require a person use dumbbells or other weighted apparatuses to perform strength-training movements.
According to researchers, calisthenics and weight exercises produce similar physical results, at least in the short-term. For example, in one study researchers had 15 men follow a weight-based training workout and 17 men follow the U.S. Army’s calisthenics-based Standardized Physical Training program for 1.5 hours a day, five days a week, for eight weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, both groups’ fitness increased to a similar degree.
Calisthenics exercises appear to increase physical fitness to a similar degree as weight-based training exercises. The benefit of calisthenics over weight-based training exercises is that calisthenics requires little-to-no additional equipment — all you need is your body!
Who hasn’t at some point advised a friend or loved one to just ‘forgive and forget’? And yet when it’s our turn to be the forgiver, it can be a different story. Why is it that forgiveness is so much easier said than done? Do we have to forgive others? Yes, research shows that forgiveness has a lot of benefits. For example, a study on female survivors of emotionally abusive relationships found that ‘forgiveness therapy’ led to less anxiety and depression, better decision making, and a greater ability to manage emotions. But sometimes what we want to forgive really is a big ask. Difficult things can happen, and in such cases it’s best not to be hard on yourself if you can’t move on and forgive. There is no rule that we have to forgive everyone. Sometimes the best we can do is work to find acceptance, and seek the help of a professional if that is a struggle.
But other times we can’t forgive because we simply have yet to recognise the pattern or the self-deception we are stuck in that is stopping us from letting go. 12 Reasons You Can’t Forgive and Forget See if one of the reasons below is holding you back from forgiving and forgetting for once and for all. 1) YOU AREN’T BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT THE REAL CAUSE OF YOUR HURT. We can convince ourselves we are mad at someone for one thing, when really we are upset about something entirely different. We won’t forgive a sibling for not coming to our party, when really we are secretly furious they insinuated our marriage wouldn’t last. The first one is easier to be mad about, but to forgive we have to admit what we really need to let go of. 2) YOU’VE ATTACHED YOUR CURRENT UPSET TO BIGGER UPSETS FROM THE PAST. When someone does something that hurts us it can trigger older, deeper pains. Without realising it we can engage in the ‘snowball affect’. We unconsciously layer the new hurt to the old hurt, until we are facing something too big and overwhelming to forgive and forget. For example, if our partner leaves us, we can experience feelings of rejection that can pile on top of unresolved experiences of abandonment from childhood. Soon enough we think we have to forgive our partner for thinking we aren’t worthy of love. When really all they did was leave an adult relationship that was no longer serving a positive purpose. That’s why therapy is so wonderful at helping us forgive. It can help us separate past hurts from present hurts, as well as stop us recreating patterns of pain that put us in a position of needing to forgive in the first place. 3) YOU HAVE MISTAKEN FORGIVING SOMEONE WITH ACCEPTING WHAT THEY DID. Forgiving someone involves finding at least a modicum of compassion for the other party and their choices. It means allowing yourself to process and heal the hurt their actions have caused you. This does not, however, mean that you condone what they did. You can disagree with their actions and still let go of your hurt. 4) YOU ARE SCARED THAT IF YOU FORGIVE SOMEONE YOU’LL BE MADE VULNERABLE. Feeling angry can make us feel ‘tough’, and can be like an armour keeping away more hurt. But not forgiving someone leaves us replaying a painful situation in our mind until it erodes our sense of worth. This actually leave us more vulnerable in the long run. Think of the last time you were furious with someone. How did you feel when you saw them? In all likelihood you felt threatened and very shaken. But then think of how you felt years later, when all was water under the bridge, and you had let go or resentment. Did they then have any power over you at all? 5) YOU ARE ADDICTED TO THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A GRIEVANCE. Not forgiving someone allows us to feel sorry for ourselves, and to gain the attention of others for what has happened to us. That attention can be like a drug we want more of to make ourselves feel better and wanted. Forgiveness requires being able to let go of our victimhood and realise that we are ready for the better benefits of moving on. It means being ready to feel powerful and choose good things for ourselves. By: Roni Amin 6) YOU THINK THAT TO FORGIVE SOMEONE YOU HAVE TO TALK TO THEM. Forgiveness is about you, and how you feel about something and someone, not how they react to how you feel. The other person doesn’t have to know anything about your decision. In fact if we want forgiveness to involve a confrontation, we often aren’t ready to forgive at all, but are still looking for more drama. 7) YOU ARE SCARED OF THE EMOTIONS THAT MIGHT RISE UP IF YOU TRY TO FORGIVE. Forgiveness can be similar to the process of grieving, full of ups and downs. But repressing sadness and rage has long-term effects that can be even more difficult to deal with. So it is definitely a case of the sooner you allow your feelings out and start letting go the better. 8) YOU DON’T TRUST THAT IF YOU FORGIVE SOMEONE THEY WILL FORGIVE YOU BACK. Forgiveness is not a guaranteed two-way street. Often, by letting go of something, we do naturally affect others around us, but sometimes it doesn’t work that way. And if we think that we are forgiving the other person ‘for their sake’, then it is not really forgiveness at all. It’s a form of control that puts you in the place of superiority, rather than the place of compassion true forgiveness requires. 9) YOU NEED TO FORGIVE YOURSELF FIRST. Forgiving the other person usually entails taking responsibility for our part of what happened. If, for example, our child gets in trouble with the law, we might be scared to forgive him, as it would mean we’d have to forgive ourselves for perhaps not being as available to our child as he needed. The wonderful thing is that when we do forgive ourselves for the choices we made that led us to be hurt by another? We often spontaneously forgive the other. Start with you and see what happens. 10) YOU THINK THAT IF YOU FORGIVE YOU HAVE TO FORGET. Our experiences of being wronged or wounded in life show us our own values, and earn us our personal strength. If we try too hard to forget what happened we might find ourselves just repeating a similar painful scenario down the line. Forgive the other, and forget the pain with time, but hold on to those learnings. 11) YOU SIMPLY AREN’T READY TO FORGIVE. Although in an ideal world we’d just ‘decide’ to forgive someone, and then, voilà, we just let go and move on? The heart has its own timing. Again, if you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready, and we don’t have to ever forgive if it doesn’t feel right. Keep focussing on ways to move forward and be good to yourself, and let the moment of forgiveness come of its own accord (or not). 12) YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH A DESTINATION THAT DOESN’T EXIST. Although in the western world we like to see forgiveness as a sort of destination we can reach with enough determination on our part, the truth is that forgiveness is a process. It takes time, it has ups and downs, and it is a long-term commitment. Even if we do forgive, a few months down the line we can be triggered by something we see or hear, feel pain again, and have to recommit to forgiveness. Having trouble forgiving someone and it’s bringing you down? We connect you with some of London’s highest rated therapists. Or use our booking site to connect with UK-wide registered therapists and online counsellors you can work with from any country.
Andrea M. Darcy is the editor and lead writer of this site. An ex screenwriter turned mental health writer who has penned thousands of articles, she has done training in person centred therapy and coaching.
Our bodies make up 90% of our skin’s real estate and nearly 60% of what we put on it is absorbed into the skin, so it’s important to take bodycare just as seriously as we do the skin on our faces. For many of us, bodycare goes as far as slathering on some lotion when we happen to think about it, and it’s even rarer that we take the time to find out whether lotion is actually the best way to moisturize.
A question we’re frequently asked is, “Are body oils better than lotions”? In short, both can do the work of moisturizing skin, but body oils go the extra mile. If you’ve been considering a clean swap, opting for a body oil over a lotion is one of the most important shifts you can make. Why? To put it very simply, our bodies are literally contained by our skin, and what you put on your skin is ultimately absorbed into your bloodstream. Read below to find out why you should ditch the lotion and make body oils your new best friend.
1. Oils retain moisture better
When an oil is lipophilic, it technically means it’s “fat-loving” and will mix well with other oils (fats) like sebum on your skin, so they can penetrate more deeply into the skin and retain moisture under the surface. Oils can most accurately match the natural sebum of your skin. Oils are actually encouraged for those with oily and acne-prone skin because they balance natural sebum production and your skin no longer has to overcompensate by producing excess oil, which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
2. Oils are preservative and synthetic free
Lotions are made with a mix of water and oil, but much like a bottle of salad dressing, oil and water don’t mix! To make lotion, oil and water must be combined through the use of additives and emulsifiers. In order to keep bacteria from growing in water, preservatives like parabens or any other synthetics are added into the lotion so that it remains shelf stable. Preservatives tend to be problematic, but the beauty of an oil is that its anhydrous, meaning there’s no water present and no need to add any synthetics to the formula to make it shelf stable.
3. Oils are bioactive, delivering nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants to skin
Bioactive refers to the amount of ingredients that are absorbed into your bloodstream after a product is applied to your skin. Because of their lipophilic nature and their small molecular size, the nutrients and vitamins in essential oils can absorb easily into the skin, revitalizing on a cellular level and creating a more resilient moisture barrier. Lotions, on the other hand, can moisturize, but typically just sit on the top of your skin until you wash them off
4. Oils can repair and regulate damage on the skin’s surface
If you’ve ever felt like your skin is dry, tight, or irritated, it’s likely the moisture barrier on your skin’s surface has been compromised. But what is a moisture barrier, anyway, and how does it get damaged? Your moisture barrier is the outermost layer of skin on your body that locks in water and defends against bacteria and other environmental stressors from penetrating under the surface layer of skin. When your moisture barrier is damaged, whether it’s from harsh chemicals, over exfoliation, or pollutants, it creates the tiniest cracks in the skin, which leaves your skin vulnerable to outside irritants that can cause wrinkles, breakouts, discoloration, and other issues. Unlike lotions, which tend to sit on the surface of the skin, essential oils have the ability to penetrate through the surface and ingredients like rosehip, jojoba, and carrot seed naturally heal and restore compromised moisture barriers.
5. Oils protect against free radicals and environmental stressors
Because oils are pure and don’t contain water or fillers, they are able to seal good ingredients in, and keep the bad ones out! Free radicals like pollution, cigarette smoke, the sun, and exposure pesticides, among others, can lead to premature aging and damage on the outer surface of the skin. When you switch to an oil, which protects skin starting from the inside out, pesky outside stressors have a more difficult time doing damage to your body’s surface. Oils that contain cypress and squalane are particularly helpful in shielding from free radicals and daily wear and tear, and can help reverse issues like dullness, premature wrinkles, and discoloration on the skin.
If you’re ready to make the switch, look for oils like ours that contain beneficial essential oils and CO2 extracts that ensure your skin is receiving all of the good-for-you ingredients body oils have to offer!
1 Mix brown sugar, garlic powder and onion powder in small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
2 Spray inside of slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. Place green beans and onions in slow cooker. Drizzle with butter. Cover.
3 Cook 2 hours on HIGH or until green beans are tender. Mix soy sauce and cornstarch in small bowl until well blended. Uncover. Stir soy sauce mixture into green beans. Cover again.
4 Cook 30 minutes longer on HIGH or until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir brown sugar mixture into green beans just before serving. Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.
1 Spray inside of slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. Place beans, onion and bacon in slow cooker.Substitution Tip : Use navy or white beans in place of the pinto beans. Prepare as directed.
2 Mix ketchup, water, brown sugar and Seasoning Mix in bowl until blended. Pour over bean mixture; stir to coat. Cover.
You can keep yourself and your house cool this summer and be kind to the environment at the same time. Here’s how.
For many people, summer means BBQs, beach cricket and dips in the pool.
But there are days when that harsh summer sun isn’t quite so fun and cranking up the air-con at home seems like your only option.
We’ve all been there – those times when you just want to turn your house into a freezer and forget about the energy bill next quarter. But it’s important to remember that high energy use associated with cooling houses in summer contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Check out these 10 tips that will keep you and your house cool, save you money, and help you be kind to the earth:
1. Close your blinds
Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows, to significantly cool your home. Better yet, invest in some block-out curtains to shield your home from that harsh summer sun.
2. Block the heat
Stopping heat getting into your house in the first place means spending less on cooling. Shade windows and walls using external coverings, like blinds, awnings or large potted plants. Plant deciduous trees that cast shade over your home in summer, but still let the sun shine through in winter. If you can, invest in window tinting and top up your ceiling insulation – it’ll help keep the warmth in in winter, too.
3. Just 1oCmore
If you must use your air-conditioner, set the thermostat to between 24-27oC, or as high as you feel comfortable with. Increasing your thermostat by just 1oC in warm weather can reduce the running cost of your appliance by about 10 per cent.
If you’re looking to upgrade your air-conditioner, pick one with a high energy-star rating and do your research to ensure you choose the right type of air-conditioner for your home.
4. Adjust ceiling fans
Sometimes you might feel like ceiling fans just push the hot air around your home rather than cool it down. Well you’re not wrong – fans that aren’t rotating counter-clockwise may be doing just that!
Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down helping to create a cooling effect and clockwise in winter to pull cool air up. In warmer weather, set the fan speed high and in cooler weather it works best on low. Ceiling fans can also be used complement other cooling types, so checking they rotate in the correct direction can make a world of difference to the temperature of your home.
5. Close doors and seal gaps
Close doors to rooms you aren’t using to keep cool air where you need it most. Seal gaps around doors and windows, and use draught excluders to ensure the cool air can’t escape.
Note: evaporative air-conditioners will be more effective if you open some doors and windows to increase air flow through the home.
6. Hang out in the evening
Closing your windows and staying inside may be a great idea during the day, but when it gets cooler in the evening you may want to open your house up to cool your home naturally – just make sure you lock up overnight!
Cooking dinner in the backyard or at the park may be a cooler alternative to being in a steamy kitchen too, so make the most of a cool breeze when you can.
7. Chill out, not chill on
Sip icy-cold drinks, apply a damp cloth to your neck and other pressure points on your body, or have a cold shower to cool your body without needing to switch the air-conditioner on.
8. Hack a fan
No air-con? No worries! A cleverly-positioned bowl of ice is all you need to turn a fan into a cold mist machine. Place a shallow bowl or pan of ice in front of a fan for an icy-cool breeze that won’t break the bank.
9. Choose cotton
Cotton fabrics are super breathable and help cool your body. Wear light, loose clothing made of breathable fabrics like cotton, and fit your bed with cotton sheets.
10. Change your lightbulbs
If you’re having trouble cooling your home and can’t work out why, incandescent lightbulbs might be to blame. These lightbulbs were phased out in Australia years ago, but many homes still use them. They produce a lot of heat, so switching to energy-saving bulbs can help cool your home and save heaps on energy costs – that’s a win-win!
You can keep yourself and your house cool this summer and be kind to the environment at the same time. Here’s how.
For many people, summer means BBQs, beach cricket and dips in the pool.
But there are days when that harsh summer sun isn’t quite so fun and cranking up the air-con at home seems like your only option.
We’ve all been there – those times when you just want to turn your house into a freezer and forget about the energy bill next quarter. But it’s important to remember that high energy use associated with cooling houses in summer contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Check out these 10 tips that will keep you and your house cool, save you money, and help you be kind to the earth:
1. Close your blinds
Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows, to significantly cool your home. Better yet, invest in some block-out curtains to shield your home from that harsh summer sun.
2. Block the heat
Stopping heat getting into your house in the first place means spending less on cooling. Shade windows and walls using external coverings, like blinds, awnings or large potted plants. Plant deciduous trees that cast shade over your home in summer, but still let the sun shine through in winter. If you can, invest in window tinting and top up your ceiling insulation – it’ll help keep the warmth in in winter, too.
3. Just 1oCmore
If you must use your air-conditioner, set the thermostat to between 24-27oC, or as high as you feel comfortable with. Increasing your thermostat by just 1oC in warm weather can reduce the running cost of your appliance by about 10 per cent.
If you’re looking to upgrade your air-conditioner, pick one with a high energy-star rating and do your research to ensure you choose the right type of air-conditioner for your home.
4. Adjust ceiling fans
Sometimes you might feel like ceiling fans just push the hot air around your home rather than cool it down. Well you’re not wrong – fans that aren’t rotating counter-clockwise may be doing just that!
Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down helping to create a cooling effect and clockwise in winter to pull cool air up. In warmer weather, set the fan speed high and in cooler weather it works best on low. Ceiling fans can also be used complement other cooling types, so checking they rotate in the correct direction can make a world of difference to the temperature of your home.
5. Close doors and seal gaps
Close doors to rooms you aren’t using to keep cool air where you need it most. Seal gaps around doors and windows, and use draught excluders to ensure the cool air can’t escape.
Note: evaporative air-conditioners will be more effective if you open some doors and windows to increase air flow through the home.
6. Hang out in the evening
Closing your windows and staying inside may be a great idea during the day, but when it gets cooler in the evening you may want to open your house up to cool your home naturally – just make sure you lock up overnight!
Cooking dinner in the backyard or at the park may be a cooler alternative to being in a steamy kitchen too, so make the most of a cool breeze when you can.
7. Chill out, not chill on
Sip icy-cold drinks, apply a damp cloth to your neck and other pressure points on your body, or have a cold shower to cool your body without needing to switch the air-conditioner on.
8. Hack a fan
No air-con? No worries! A cleverly-positioned bowl of ice is all you need to turn a fan into a cold mist machine. Place a shallow bowl or pan of ice in front of a fan for an icy-cool breeze that won’t break the bank.
9. Choose cotton
Cotton fabrics are super breathable and help cool your body. Wear light, loose clothing made of breathable fabrics like cotton, and fit your bed with cotton sheets.
10. Change your lightbulbs
If you’re having trouble cooling your home and can’t work out why, incandescent lightbulbs might be to blame. These lightbulbs were phased out in Australia years ago, but many homes still use them. They produce a lot of heat, so switching to energy-saving bulbs can help cool your home and save heaps on energy costs – that’s a win-win!
You can keep yourself and your house cool this summer and be kind to the environment at the same time. Here’s how.
For many people, summer means BBQs, beach cricket and dips in the pool.
But there are days when that harsh summer sun isn’t quite so fun and cranking up the air-con at home seems like your only option.
We’ve all been there – those times when you just want to turn your house into a freezer and forget about the energy bill next quarter. But it’s important to remember that high energy use associated with cooling houses in summer contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Check out these 10 tips that will keep you and your house cool, save you money, and help you be kind to the earth:
1. Close your blinds
Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows, to significantly cool your home. Better yet, invest in some block-out curtains to shield your home from that harsh summer sun.
2. Block the heat
Stopping heat getting into your house in the first place means spending less on cooling. Shade windows and walls using external coverings, like blinds, awnings or large potted plants. Plant deciduous trees that cast shade over your home in summer, but still let the sun shine through in winter. If you can, invest in window tinting and top up your ceiling insulation – it’ll help keep the warmth in in winter, too.
3. Just 1oCmore
If you must use your air-conditioner, set the thermostat to between 24-27oC, or as high as you feel comfortable with. Increasing your thermostat by just 1oC in warm weather can reduce the running cost of your appliance by about 10 per cent.
If you’re looking to upgrade your air-conditioner, pick one with a high energy-star rating and do your research to ensure you choose the right type of air-conditioner for your home.
4. Adjust ceiling fans
Sometimes you might feel like ceiling fans just push the hot air around your home rather than cool it down. Well you’re not wrong – fans that aren’t rotating counter-clockwise may be doing just that!
Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down helping to create a cooling effect and clockwise in winter to pull cool air up. In warmer weather, set the fan speed high and in cooler weather it works best on low. Ceiling fans can also be used complement other cooling types, so checking they rotate in the correct direction can make a world of difference to the temperature of your home.
5. Close doors and seal gaps
Close doors to rooms you aren’t using to keep cool air where you need it most. Seal gaps around doors and windows, and use draught excluders to ensure the cool air can’t escape.
Note: evaporative air-conditioners will be more effective if you open some doors and windows to increase air flow through the home.
6. Hang out in the evening
Closing your windows and staying inside may be a great idea during the day, but when it gets cooler in the evening you may want to open your house up to cool your home naturally – just make sure you lock up overnight!
Cooking dinner in the backyard or at the park may be a cooler alternative to being in a steamy kitchen too, so make the most of a cool breeze when you can.
7. Chill out, not chill on
Sip icy-cold drinks, apply a damp cloth to your neck and other pressure points on your body, or have a cold shower to cool your body without needing to switch the air-conditioner on.
8. Hack a fan
No air-con? No worries! A cleverly-positioned bowl of ice is all you need to turn a fan into a cold mist machine. Place a shallow bowl or pan of ice in front of a fan for an icy-cool breeze that won’t break the bank.
9. Choose cotton
Cotton fabrics are super breathable and help cool your body. Wear light, loose clothing made of breathable fabrics like cotton, and fit your bed with cotton sheets.
10. Change your lightbulbs
If you’re having trouble cooling your home and can’t work out why, incandescent lightbulbs might be to blame. These lightbulbs were phased out in Australia years ago, but many homes still use them. They produce a lot of heat, so switching to energy-saving bulbs can help cool your home and save heaps on energy costs – that’s a win-win!
HPS Magazine 