Tips For Staying Cool At A Hot Baseball Game

An afternoon at the ballpark is one of the best ways to enjoy the long days of summer.

However, if you’re stuck sitting in the sun for several hours, a fun outing can quickly become uncomfortable or even dangerous due to the heat.

Luckily, there are a few tricks anyone can use to stay cool at a hot baseball game.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is the number one way to beat the heat. When you’re too hot, your body sweats, creating moisture that cools you down as it evaporates from your skin.

However, this process can leave you severely dehydrated, and if your body can’t produce any more sweat, you won’t be getting any cooler, either.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even when you don’t feel thirsty, in order to remain properly hydrated.

Cold drinks, aside from keeping you hydrated, can also help you stay cool. If you can, freeze a water bottle or two and bring them with you to the ballpark.

Otherwise, opt for a cold smoothie or a chilled drink with plenty of electrolytes. You can also drop electrolyte tablets into plain water in order to stay better hydrated.

If you really feel like having a hot drink on a warm summer day, that’s not a bad thing. Having a hot beverage on a hot day can greatly increase how much you sweat, which can lead to a much cooler body temperature overall.

However, remember that if you’re sweating more, you’ll need to take in more water and electrolytes in order to stay hydrated.

Many people discourage drinking anything with alcohol or caffeine on a hot day, as both alcohol and caffeine are diuretics and can lead to dehydration.

However, a soda, cold beer, or iced coffee are all fine. Each of these beverages has enough caffeine or alcohol to let you feel it, but not enough to dehydrate your body.

Simply be aware of how much alcohol or caffeine you’re drinking and don’t go overboard.

Wear Light Colors

Dark colors absorb heat quickly and tend to stay warm. Therefore, it’s better to wear lighter colors on hot days.

Go for white, pale, or pastel-colored clothing instead of dark blues, browns, greens, or black. Consider what color your pants or jeans are as well.

Dark blue jeans will heat up quickly, but pale blue pants will stay a bit cooler.

Wear Loose-Fitting Clothing

Breathable, loose-fitting clothing is key when it comes to staying cool. If air can get into your clothing, it can wick away moisture, which will create a cooling effect.

Breathable materials such as cotton also help. Clothes that cling, on the other hand, tend to stay damp and sticky, which only insulates the body and makes you feel warmer.

Wear a Hat

Although it may seem counterintuitive to wear an additional piece of clothing in hot weather, a hat with a large brim can actually help cool you down.

The brim of the hat offers shade to the face and, depending on the hat style, the back of your neck. The cloth of the hat can also protect the top of your head from the heat.

Another good covering choice is a bandana, which can be soaked in water and draped around your neck, cooling you and providing shade at the same time.

Sunglasses can also help to protect your eyes from harsh sunlight.

Bring a Fan or Mister

Portable fans are often compact, can be easily carried in the hand or in a small bag, and may have a battery that can last for hours.

A small portable fan is a great idea for a baseball game because it’ll offer you a little breeze even in a crowded park where the air is still.

When you use a fan, not only does it move cooler air over your skin, but it dries any sweat or humidity.

As moisture dries, the evaporation cools the skin, which in turn lowers your body’s temperature.

If you’re not sweating or you’re in an area with low humidity, you can use a mister to lightly mist yourself. Many portable fans also feature mister attachments.

Eat Small, Cool Foods

Digesting food and burning calories makes your body work. If you eat a rich, calorie-heavy meal, your body can actually heat up as it takes in the energy from the food.

Smaller foods, eaten over a longer period of time, however, don’t cause your body to work as hard. While you watch the baseball game, eat light snacks instead of one large meal.

The temperature of the food you’re eating can also make a difference. A cool salad or pieces of fruit are a better choice than a hot burger or cup of soup.

Treat yourself to a small bowl of ice cream or a fruit popsicle, both of which will help to keep you cool.

Eat Something Spicy

Since spicy is often equated with heat, it might seem like a bad idea to eat spicy foods. However, eating spicy foods can actually help to keep you cool.

Spicy foods make you sweat, and that sweat will help you cool down as it evaporates. In addition, when spicy foods activate the pain sensors in your body, even if the pain is a mild, pleasant spicy burn, your body receives a jolt of endorphins, which makes you feel more comfortable.

These endorphins can even make you feel happier in hot weather.