Don’t Head Outside Until You Read These Louisiana Heat Safety Tips

KNGT | Louisiana — I don't know about y'all, but this Louisiana Summertime heat has been wearing me down. The walk outside to  check the mail, or throw something in the trash, and before you know it, your shirt's sticking to your back, I dont like it!

That got me thinking. How many of us actually drink enough water before we head outside? I'm probably just as guilty as anybody. I'll grab an ice-cold drink on the way out the door and think I'm good. Turns out that's not really the best plan.

I ran across something from KATC that caught my attention. They talked with Drew Lalonde from Acadian Ambulance, and he said one of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting until they're already outside to start drinking water.

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Louisiana Heat Safety Tips

One of the biggest tips is to make sure you are hydrated before you go outside. This gives your body that headstart instead of us trying to catch up when we are already sweating our tails off. To be honest I've never really thought about it like that, but it makes perfect sense.

A lot of folks reach for sports drinks. Nothing wrong with that. They help replace electrolytes after you've been sweating. But they aren't supposed to take the place of water.

Water's still the main thing your body needs. I know somebody reading this is saying, "I've worked outside my whole life." But every summer we hear about somebody getting overheated. Sometimes it's somebody cutting grass. Sometimes it's a ball coach.

This Louisiana summer heat doesn't really care how tough you think you are. My tips, if you have to do yard work, do it early in the morning or late in the day. If your headed to the Lake or River bring a ridiculous amount of water....and actually drink it!

If you're cooking outside, don't just stand over that hot pit for hours without taking a break. Step inside for a few minutes. Cool off. Then head back out. And keep an eye on everybody else too. Kids can get overheated pretty fast. Same goes for older folks. Don't forget about your dogs either. That pavement gets hotter than people realize.

Drink some water today. Then drink a little more tomorrow if you've got plans to be outside. Stay hydrated Southwest Louisiana and lets get through this summertime heat together.