This weekend is a wonderful 3-day holiday weekend to celebrate this nation’s Independence Day on the 4th of July. We should all take the time to remember our past, present, and future veterans and the freedom we have in our country. Enjoy the weekend and here are our top 7 tips for the 4th of July weekend.
1. Have fun! Not only will this help out to decrease the stresses in your life but it will help you get out to meet more people. Whether it is fishing, golfing, swimming, or whatever you like to do to have fun, just get out there and enjoy it. Take a break from your worries and enjoy your family and friends.
2. Be safe with those fireworks! Firework are amazing but can be dangerous. Follow the instructions for the fireworks and be sure to shoot them in a safe direction. Be sure to have a bucket of water to throw fireworks in after you are done shooting them off. I know that 4th of July and Thanksgiving are usually the busiest days of the year for local police and firefighters, so be classy and help them with their jobs. Furthermore, have eye protection and try to light only one firework at a time.
3. Drink Water. It should be in the 80s for the weekend but I am sure the heat index will be higher. We need to drink some water especially if you will be outside all day in the heat or being active. We do not want to get dehydrated so try to drink a lot of water. Usually it is 8 glasses throughout the day or half your body weight in ounces.
4. Be aware of your neighbors and pets. Be aware of any veterans or persons that may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as loud noises and fireworks can stress them and increase symptoms of the disorder. Look for signs up around you that may be to identify if someone lives in your neighborhood. Pets usually are scared from all the loud noises going off continuously throughout the night, so bring them inside. The dog might enjoy being inside with the air conditioning on. Furthermore, if your dog is outside running around while you are shooting off fireworks, they can run off or worse, get burned by a bad fireworks display.
5. Try some healthier food. This is BBQ and grilling season. Try grilling fruits and veggies or a new rub on your steak or chicken. You can experiment with new grilling techniques on watermelon or even lettuce. Try to incorporate some fruits and vegetables into your dinner plans. Fruit or vegetable salads are popular during the summer and are healthier for you than those bags of potatoe chips.
6. Wear sunscreen. It is important to wear sunscreen if you are going to be outside under the sun all day. You get vitamin D from being outside getting sunlight but you can get enough from being outside for a few minutes so we usually recommend to go outside to get ready and then spray on your sunscreen. Make sure to read the label because you might have to put more sunscreen on later in the day.
7. Get in the water! If you get hot, get in the water and go swimming or boating. It is a easy cool way to stay cool. Just make sure watch for any bad weather. Do not dive head first into the lake, due to the unknown ability how deep the water is. Furthermore, watch for currents and wear the appropriate life jacket depending on your age & weight.
Have fun this July 4th and celebrate our country’s freedom. Those of us here at Fletcher Chiropractic in Lincoln, Ne. wish you all a happy Independence Day! See you all next week.