The time I share with you my personal practical tips to survive walking on a hot tropical day.

It's a known thing that I love walking. And it's indeed a thing that I am super grateful for because I look forward to moving my aging limbs as a way of thanking Life for all the blessings that have been showered my way.

Lately, the sun and its scorching rays have been HOT in the news as some places on Earth are bathed by strong UV that people are advised to avoid being outside during certain times of the day as the heat is too, too much. Fortunately, the heat that I've been personally experiencing in my ancient small town is bearable. 

Plus, I have somewhat equip myself with real-life knowledge on what to do to avoid the dangers associated with getting too much of extreme sunshine. Being a person that has sensory sensitivities, most people would think that I'd avoid the sun but no way am I missing on that sweet dose of sunshine when I am out walking.

Here are some tips to make your walking COMFORTABLE while the sun is threatening to make you into a statistic if you're not vigilant.

Walk in shaded areas. Take walks in forested areas or locations with trees with bushy canopies to take in the sun in an indirect manner.

Bring the trusty umbrella that has the ability to repel the pesky excessive UV. I use a huge black umbrella with anti-UV coating during these hot sunny days when I'm out walking.

Sunnies are your besties! Sunglasses to protect your eyeballs from blinding sunlight are a must-have. The sun can be a hazard to seeing things clearly as it can cause blind spots especially when one is driving. I avoid certain routes if I know I will get blindsided by the sun when I'm positioned at an intersection. Of course, clouds may save the day but I'm not about to be idle in a vehicle waiting for fatty clouds to stand in front of an exciting giant ball of fire.

Sunscreen! It helps to protect the skin from wrinkle-inducing melanoma-triggering UV rays. I wear mine before stepping out, always. I also carry some facial powders that carry SPF to top up when necessary. 

Big bottle of  water. Hydration is vital as scorching hot days will naturally reveal to you that deaths do occur from heat strokes that go under the radar. Children and senior folks are especially vulnerable. Replenish yourself with water or your favorite cool drink. 

Aircon in the car. It helps a lot actually. If you can get to a space that's artificially chilled, know that it's one of the very quick ways to cool off. And just soaking in the AC on a bloody hot and humid day is heaven-sent. I am no fan of prolonged aircon use but strategic use while escaping the heat in the car can be one of those little things that can get me through the killer humidity in sunny old Malaysia.

A gif thingy:

via GIPHY

That's it for now folks. Hoping you're all hydrated and enjoying a healthy dose of heat and humidity. If for some reason, you're not the type of person to enjoy brilliant summers, here's me wishing a giant pour heading your way. Take care!

shanaz@RS | 12:55 AM | Labels: nature walk / ootd vibes