NetSweat Fitness Blog’s advice to those taking their workouts outside this summer: Drink up! Whether you’re biking or hiking or even headed out on a lengthy stroll, bring along fluids aplenty so you don’t risk dehydration. NetSweat recommends the CamelBak MULE Hydration Pack, which features a 100-ounce reservoir and ample room for packing sunscreen and snacks.

For the gym-averse, Women Diary presents an at-home alternative to hitting the treadmill: garden fitness. Turns out gardening chores like digging, pruning, and raking can give a good cardio workout, according to personal trainer Kim Ruby, who recommends prepping with 20 minutes of walking. Check Women Diary - which regularly posts fun fitness and health advice, along with some choice beauty info - to get the full green-thumb exercise plan.

When it comes to scoping out self-care products, ThisNext loves getting shopping advice straight from doctors themselves. So we’re happy to see that obstetrician Alexandra Simotas, who blogs about women’s health and sexuality at Her Health, suggests a safe way for health-conscious moms-to-be to heal stretch marks before hitting the beach this summer. Dr. Simotas recommends products by Nikianna’s Naturals, which are free of potentially harmful preservatives and made with lots of good-for-you herbal extracts and essential oils.

Rachel at Diary Of An Amateur Triathlete has some words of wisdom for those gearing up for this summer’s triathlons: Be careful that you’re not overtraining, which can cause injury and burnout. To keep tabs on your training intensity, Rachel recommends practicing R & R (“Rest & Recovery”) by “scheduling a week every 4th week of training to cut back on the workouts, rest up, and allow your body to recover.” Make sure to check out Rachel’s full list of training dos and don’ts to help prevent decreased performance, lethargy, insomnia, and even depression.

There are trillions of bacteria living in your gut. To make sure you've got enough of the good kind, Dr. Suzanne Friedman at Longevity Tree suggests boosting your intake of healthy bacteria called probiotics. You can get probiotics, which also help enhance your immunity and improve nutrient absorption, through yogurt and fermented foods. But in case you're not feeding on kim chee and kefir every day (and really, who is?), the San Francisco-based blogger/acupuncturist/herbalist recommends taking a daily dose of enteric-coated Acidophilus Pearls from supplement maker Enzymatic Therapy.

There are an estimated 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1,000 trillion) mosquitoes on the planet. What’s the best way to keep the pesky creatures from feasting on you and your kids when you’re hitting the campsite or the backyard barbecues this summer? Dr. Steven Parker at Healthy Children recommends insect repellants that contain deet, suggesting that you “select the lowest concentration effective for the amount of time spent outdoors.”

And for those sketched out by deet’s chemical content, here’s Dr. Parker’s word on natural repellants:

”Picaridin. A new repellent contains the chemical picaridin. Consumer Reports (Dr. P’s bible) found it as effective as deet and states it is “worth a try…if you need just a few hours of protection and if you don’t like the odor or feel of repellents containing deet.” Apparently, picaridin has been used world-wide since 1998 and the World Health Organization regards the proper use of picaridin as ‘safe.’”