Staying hydrated is essential, especially when working out in the summer heat. With the sun beating down and the temperatures rising, it’s easy to become dehydrated quickly. It is a popular fact that nearly 60% of your body is made of water. It is vital for all cellular processes and life in general.
Without enough water, you would become dehydrated, and this can lead to muscle cramps, fatigue, lightheadedness, constipation, and other unpleasant symptoms.
In this guide, we will discuss some practical tips to help you stay hydrated when working out in the summer.
So, what is the importance of staying hydrated
Being an essential element for your body, your water intake plays a vital role in maintaining your overall health. Water helps maintain your health in the following ways:
- Supplies nutrients throughout your body
- Eliminates toxic waste via excretion
- Maintains your blood circulation
- Regulates your body temperature
- Lubricates your joints
- Prevents infections
You must drink as much water as your body needs daily. Everyone’s water intake differs depending on their needs, so focus on your body’s requirements. However, a general rule of thumb is to consume at least 8 glasses of water each day, and drink more if you get regular cardio workouts such as on your home elliptical.
8 Tips to stay hydrated when working out during summer
Summers make you dehydrated more frequently due to the heat and sweating. If you tend to work out in the summer, you will lose more water. Here are 8 ways to stay hydrated when working out this summer.
- Pre-hydrate
Prevention is always better than cure, and so is pre-hydration better than dehydration. Hydrate yourself before the workout whenever you are due for your daily exercise routine. Drink 1-2 glasses of water 20 mins before you set out to exercise on a recumbent elliptical or a heavy duty treadmill.
- Sip away
Always carry a bottle with you during your workout, and keep sipping through your routine. Use reminders on your phone to keep drinking and plan your day to accommodate carrying an extra water bottle.
- Electrolyte loading
Summers and sweating go hand-in-hand. Sweating is your body’s way of preventing it from overheating. When you sweat, you also lose essential electrolytes like sodium and potassium. These electrolytes help maintain the fluid balance in your body.
Include lemonade or glucose water in your daily drinking schedule to replenish your electrolytes.
- Watery foods
While drinking water is essential, you can also consume high-water-containing foods to increase your water intake.
Here’s a list of foods that contain more than 60% water –
- Strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, cabbage, celery, lettuce, spinach – 90-99% water
- Yogurt, apples, oranges, grapes, carrots, pears, pineapple – 80-89% water
- Bananas, avocado, shrimp – 70-79% water
- Pasta, legumes, salmon, chicken breast – 60-69% water
- Replenish while sweating
When you are exercising during the summer, you tend to sweat more. Proper hydration before, during, and after your routine helps maintain your body’s water content.
Here’s how much water you need to stay hydrated during your summer workouts –
- Drink 17-20 ounces two hours before your exercise.
- Drink 7-10 ounces every 10-20 minutes during your exercise.
- Drink 16-24 ounces for every pound of weight lost after exercise.
- Infused water
Many of us hate drinking plain water; after a point, plain water is boring! Infuse your water by adding fruits, vegetables, and herbs to enhance the flavor of the water. Choose your infuser for the day and make your water tasty to drink.
Here are a few yummy infuser combinations –
- Cucumber + lemon + celery
- Orange + lime
- Strawberry + lemon + mint
- Apple + lemon + carrot
- Apricot + raspberry + mint
- Strawberry + pineapple
- Peach + plum + mint
- Kiwi + orange
- Watermelon + strawberries
- Lemon + mint + ginger + cucumber
- Avoid stimulants
You’re mistaken if you think your coffee and sugary soda will help you hydrate. Avoid drinks like sweet tea, beer, wine, hard liquor, coffee, sodas, and flavored energy drinks. Loaded with sodium and sugar, these drinks tend to remove water from your tissues. Swap these drinks with infused water to rehydrate your body.
- Stay cool
To stay hydrated, you need to also focus on the amount of water lost from your body. Summers are known to increase the risk of heat stroke.
To avoid this, you can try the following –
- Wear light, loose-fitting clothes.
- Schedule your workout during the cooler times of the day.
- Take adequate breaks
- Protect yourself from the sun while traveling outdoors. Wear hats and cover yourself.
- Mist yourself by spraying water on your face if you feel overheated.
How to ensure you are well-hydrated?
Despite doing all the above, sometimes you can risk under-hydrating or over-hydrating yourself. Here are two ways you can check to ensure you are well-hydrated.
Check your urine
Based on the color of your urine, you can understand if your body is hydrated.
- Normal hydration leads to clear to pale yellow-colored urine.
- If you are dehydrated, your urine will be dark yellow.
- Overhydration is indicated by clear transparent-colored urine.
Know the signs of dehydration
If you have any of the following symptoms, you might be dehydrated.
- Dry mouth
- Thirst
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
Rehydrate, Don’t Dehydrate
Stay cool this summer by hydrating yourself while you work out. If you experience any dehydration symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.
Author Info: By healthyandkhush.com
Summary:
Healthy and Khush is a blog dedicated to sharing science-based tips and hacks that will help you lose weight and keep it off.