Staying hydrated is something that we all know we should do, but rarely are we any good at it. As the weather gets warmer as we are coming into spring, it becomes the perfect time to become adequately hydrated to prepare us for the hotter summer months. Drinking water is essential for maintaining good health and for overall wellbeing. Increasing water intake is arguably the easiest thing you can do to better your health, so why not start today!?
Is it really important to stay hydrated?
Did you know that around 60% of your body is made up of water? This makes water vital for our survival.
Water helps:
- to regulate the bodies temperature and blood pressure
- to provide lubrication for joints
- to aid digestion, and in turn moves unwanted waste out of our bodies.
As low at 2% loss of the bodies water can begin to affect short term memory and focus and increase fatigue. As the months begin to get warmer, water is required in larger amounts to keep our bodies cool through sweating and evaporation. So yes, it is important to stay hydrated.
Hydration and Exercise
When exercising, it is especially important to monitor your consumption of fluids. Especially when working out at high intensities or during warmer temperatures. This results from loosing water through sweating. You can increase your fitness, but unfortunately you can’t increase your bodies tolerance to dehydration. Exercise and staying hydrated need to go hand in hand if you want to make the most out of your athletic performance. Make sure you keep drinking the more you exercise.
How to make staying hydrated a focus?
- Make it a habit to drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up. This will help to wake up the internal organs and set you off to a great start for the day.
- Fill up a reusable water bottle. Better yet a bottle that keeps the water cold so there are no excuses when it is warm! Some people may find it beneficial to track water in the bottle – i.e if the bottle is one litre, aim to drink two a day.
- Aim for 8 glasses of water / day which should equate to 2-3L.
- Drink water before you eat! Sometimes, we can confuse hunger for thirst, so ensuring you are fully hydrated may help to avoid unwanted snacking.
- Infuse your water with fresh fruit or herbs – If your somebody who ‘doesn’t like the taste’ why not add some lemon, basil, ginger or rosemary?
- If experiencing symptoms of dehydration – why not add a hydrolyte for added electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride) and carbohydrates (usually in the form of glucose and sucrose) which work together to help the body to become hydrated more effectively than water alone – and they taste great!
If you want to be more specific follow this formula to get a good estimation of your daily recommended water intake:
35ml / kg bodyweight
For example: 60kg = 2.1L, 80kg = 2.8L
In Summary
To summarise, as the days grow warmer with the arrival of spring, it’s crucial to prioritise hydration for our overall health and well-being. Water, constituting a significant portion of our bodies, plays a vital role in regulating temperature, aiding digestion, and ensuring cognitive function. Embracing the habit of staying adequately hydrated not only prepares us for the hot summer months but also enhances our daily vitality and resilience.
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