Looking to beat the heat on campus? Here's how

Nihil sub sole novum — as Ecclesiastes wrote in the 24th book of the Hebrew Bible. "There is nothing new under the sun."

So why does each new sweltering Montreal August feel like the stickiest one ever? And more importantly: how can we Concordians function in 32-feels-like-41-degree-C heat?

“My personal No. 1 tip for students is the same one I give my preschooler: listen to your body!” says Gabriella Szabo, a health promotion specialist at Concordia’s Health Services. “If you’re thirsty, drink; if you’re tired, rest; if you’re hot, go indoors to cool down.”

She cites the Mayo Clinic’s list of heat exhaustion prevention strategies. “Practical steps include staying in air-conditioned places — e.g. at a mall or the Campus Bookstores to buy school supplies, or even better, at Concordia’s Libraries to get a head start on your reading — as well as drinking plenty of water and avoiding intense physical activity.”

Fitness devotees can take their workouts to the cool comfort of Le Gym on the Sir George Williams Campus or the PERFORM Centre’s conditioning floor.

City of Montreal-issued advisories notwithstanding, Szabo says the water on campus tastes good and is cold.

“We also have many of those water fountains that refill bottles,” she adds, referring to 40 plastic-eliminating bottle-filling stations.

Heavy sweating and fatigue may sound par for the course in this weather, but they can be symptoms of heat exhaustion — or heat stroke, as it’s colloquially called.

And what if you do overheat? “Sit down in a cool place, drink fluids and come to Health Services if you don’t start feeling better after a short time,” Szabo says.

Good luck, fellow heat-wave warriors!
 

Find out more about Health Services at Concordia.