Whoever coined the literary saying, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun” undoubtedly spent a summer or two in Florida. For only the craziest of canines, or a perennially sun-starved Brit, would dare venture out into Florida’s midday heat for any longer than it takes to move from one air-conditioned space to another. Middays during Florida’s famously long and hot summers are all about moving your activities indoors. Or for taking long, leisurely siestas after lunch. Indeed, the Oxford Dictionary defines “siesta” as “an afternoon rest or nap, especially one taken during the hottest hours of the day in a hot climate.”

Given Florida’s dependably high summer heat and humidity, one is tempted to conclude that the hottest time of day would be the ideal time to take advantage of your backyard swimming pool. Instead, health and fitness gurus believe the wisest time to use your pool is during the cooler morning and early evening hours that typically bookend Florida’s hotter midday hours.

At midday, when the sun is directly overhead, its damaging UV rays are at peak intensity. Moreover, the sunshine you experience in Florida is different from the sunshine you may have basked in elsewhere. The closer you get to the equator, the higher the sun’s UV radiation level. Thus, given Florida’s low latitude, its residents are exposed to more UV radiation than they would otherwise experience in any other state in the continental U.S. Only Hawaii is at a lower latitude.

So, swim smart when it’s excessively hot outside. Take your daily dip before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., if you can, and use plenty of waterproof sunscreen for as long as your skin is exposed to the sun. For maximum protection, apply it a half hour before getting into the water, then reapply every 80 minutes as necessary.

Many devoted swimmers I know prefer to swim first thing in the morning, when the ambient air temperature is as low as it is likely to be all day. A plunge from the cool air into the warmer water is an invigorating way to start the day. Plus, when you climb out, the cooler air against your warmed-over skin provides a second dose of invigoration. The same effect is possible later in the day or early evening, assuming the afternoon rainstorms arrive to break the heat.

If you plan to swim your daily laps as usual during a heat wave, remember to hydrate often. After all, just because you are completely submerged in water doesn’t necessarily mean you are hydrated. Swimming in a warm pool on a very hot day could result in heat exhaustion—or worse, heat stroke—if you don’t stay well hydrated.

During periods of excessive heat, you might want to forgo a vigorous swim in favor of sipping on a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade while your legs and feet dangle lazily over the sides of your favorite pool float. It goes without saying that the pool float should come standard with a cup holder.

Not usually one to issue shameless product plugs, I will make an exception here. My year-round beverage of choice—especially in the harsh heat of a Florida summer—is Publix Old-Fashioned Lemonade.  With just the right amount of sugar to counter its citric acidity, it quenches your thirst, provides an energy boost, and hydrates the body, all at once. If you are similarly partial to mangos, Publix Natural Flavored Mango Lemonade could just as well be labeled “Nectar of the gods.” It’s my absolute favorite daytime beverage and it’s not as if you have to travel very far to find a Publix. Both flavors of lemonade are usually found in the store’s deli department.