Getting out and being active in the summer  is by far what makes summer so great !

But you have to know how to play safe in the hot summer sun .

One of the most important things to consider when being active in the summer sun , is hydration ! You can lose almost 2 lbs of water from your body from vigorous activity  on a hot humid day . So how do we combat dehydration? First step ( and probably the grossest step ) is to monitor your urine . If your urine is light yellow to clear   it means you are pretty well hydrated, but its darker yellow , or looks closer to apple juice  then its time to start drinking some water .Another way to monitor your hydration levels is to step on a scale before your activities outside and then again when your finished . If you weigh a lot less , you need to drink more water. You can never have enough water. Keep an insulated bottle in your car, freeze some plastic bottles of water to bring to the beach , what you do , just drink that water ! Drinking plenty of water will help keep your energy up, and make your skin glow.

Along with keeping yourself hydrated, you should protect your skin from the suns harmful rays.  The best advice is to stay in the shade when ever possible , but if there is no shade around there are way you can protect yourself from turning into a lobster .Even it is cloudy , be sure to apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 . Re-apply sun screen every 2 hours , and even more frequently if you are going in and out of water . Also avoid reflective surfaces, as they can reflect up to 85 % of the suns rays!

  Now that you know how to stay safe , it is time to explore getting active !Going to the beach can be a suitable replacement for your workout. Games such as paddle ball or volley ball can get your heart going. Do you like walking up and down the beach picking up seashells? By doing so you’re working your lower back, hamstrings and quadriceps! (Don’t forget to bend with your knees!) The sand also provides resistance adding to the workout you get walking the beach. Also use your nearest park as your own personal outdoor gym. Try doing push ups off the slide, or for more of challenge put one hand on each of the swings and do push ups for more of a challenge. Also try dips off a park bench or pull ups on the monkey bars.