How to stay cool in Sarasota while staying active

I recently bought a new phone charger for my car, the kind you mount on your dashboard. It uses Apple's MagSafe technology to power up my phone via magnets and an internal charging coil. 

Or at least that's the idea. On Tuesday, it was so hot outside — and thus, so hot in my car — that as soon as I placed my phone on the metal charger, it gave me the "your iPhone needs to cool down" message and would not charge. In other words, the Florida summer has rendered my purchase moot, and technically, it's not even summer yet, which means the worst is yet to come. 

I should have known. This will be my sixth summer in Florida. The heat always has me dreading them. The people and sports in this area, of course, cancel that negative out. But the fact remains: even for Florida veterans, summer can be a lot. That's why I like to give suggestions on how people can remain active during the summer while staying relatively cool. They are quite good suggestions and, as such, should be taken quite seriously — or at least the first two. 

Try paddling lessons at Nathan Benderson Park.

Dragon boats sound like something out of a fantasy war movie, but in reality, hopping in one is a great way to spend a day on the water. Like in sweep rowing, each person in the boat takes one oar (or a paddle in this case) and moves the boat in sync. There's a steerer in the back and a drummer in the front keeping the tempo. And yes, there's a dragon head on the front of the boat. It completely rules. The sport originated in the Pearl River Delta region of China more than 2,000 years ago; now 89 countries have organizations recognized by the International Dragon Boat Federation. In fact, the IBDF Club Crew World Championships are coming to Nathan Benderson Park July 18-22.

Now is the perfect time to get acquainted with the sport. Benderson Park's head paddling coach, Angela Long, is beloved by her athletes and will teach you everything you need to know. Trust me. I took a lesson with the park's paddlers in 2019. It was difficult, but fulfilling. 

Plus, if you ever get too hot, you can roll off the boat and into the cool, refreshing water. Just watch out for the alligators! I'm sure no one will yell at you for ruining the boat's rhythm. 

Make your (virtual) escape from it all.

Mysterium Escape Rooms and VR, formerly known as Escape Reality Downtown, offers patrons the chance to experience many things, but in regards to staying active, I want to focus on its virtual reality offerings. When I visited the place in 2019, I played Beat Saber, which is a rhythm game akin to Guitar Hero except instead of playing a plastic guitar, you use your hands to destroy blocks flying at you, and use the rest of your body — all of it — to dodge walls that block your way. It's all set to popular music from the past and present.

There are multiple difficulty levels; even the normal level will tire you out after a few songs, but the expert levels will have you panting on the floor. I promise, it's a good workout. You can even grab a drink at Mysterium's bar afterwards to cool down. An hour-long VR arcade session — which gives a lot more options than just Beat Saber, by the way — is $35.

Turn a splash fountain into your personal gym.

This suggestion would have been easier a few years ago, but the splash fountain at Bayfront Park is currently under renovation, so it's a no-go. That's OK. We won't let a little hurdle like that deter us. Not when a splash fountain workout — the ultimate way to get fit and look like you just emerged from the sea like Aquaman — is the prize. So we're going to take a short drive up to the Bradenton Riverwalk's Family Fun Zone, which is bigger and therefore better for our workout needs, anyway. 

What is great about this location, besides the view, is that it has water jets that shoot up from the ground. Use them! Run straight through the jets as you practice your sprints. Sure, there may be some pesky kids in your way. Just yell "excuse me" as you're running straight at them and they should move, allowing you to get maximum water exposure. 

Bored of running? Try doing push-ups directly over the jets. You don't know the meaning of relaxation until you have been blasted in the face by one of those things as you're working on a set of 100. It's heavenly. 

Sit in your car with the A/C off.

I was not kidding about the inside of my car being more or less a sauna this week. One day recently I got in my car and my glasses fogged up. In my car. Not outside of it. Sheer insanity. 

But why not use this insanity to your advantage? I sat in my car for 10 minutes with the A/C off as a test. I sweat through my shirt. I had to wipe sweat off my forehead to keep it out of my eyes. I sweat more in those 10 minutes than almost any workout I have ever done. If sweating alone is not the result you desire you can always move to the back seat, lay it down and do some hot yoga stretches. 

Now, I know what you're thinking. Isn't this column about staying cool while being active? Yes. While those 10 minutes are going to be excruciating, the advantage is that you don't actually have to go anywhere. You can just head back inside your house and hit the shower. Boom, you're done. Throw on a robe and bask in the cooler temperatures. Pity your friends who feel they must jog for an hour to stay fit. You know the real secret: the secret of the sauna car.*

*In case it's not clear, I cannot stress enough that you should not do this. 

Watch the new season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" on a loop.

I swear I have never been as stressed watching something as I was watching episode four of the hit show's new season, which dropped over the weekend, and thus have never paced around my apartment as much. Your pedometer will be thrilled. Getting to hear Kate Bush's classic anthem "Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)" a bunch of times doesn't hurt, either, as far as motivation goes. Get ready to want to run everywhere, sun and sweat be damned.