· Introduction ·
Staying hydrated is essential for optimal health and fitness. Water plays a vital role in many bodily functions, including regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients, and flushing out toxins.
A lot of the recommendations here will sound obvious to you, but sometimes we need to be remind of them and no only that, but if we can target your specific need and also your give you some tips, gadgets and apps that can help you with this, your whole body will appreciate it.
· Why? ·
Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 50% to 70% of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive.
Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly. For example, water:
- Gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration and bowel movements
- Keeps your temperature normal
- Lubricates and cushions joints
- Protects sensitive tissues
Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.
Here is the ultimate guide to staying hydrated for optimal health and fitness:
· Know your needs ·
The amount of water you need varies based on your age, sex, weight, and activity level. A general rule of thumb is to aim for at least 8 cups (64 ounces) of water per day, but this is not the recommended amount. It will only help you preventing dehydration, but there are a lot of factors you should consider:
- Exercise. If you do any activity you need to drink extra water to cover the fluid loss.
- Environment. Hot or humid weather can requires additional fluid. Dehydration also can occur at high altitudes.
- Overall health. Your body loses fluids when you have a fever, vomiting or diarrhea, or some other conditions.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding.
- And More…
Drinking plenty of water is essential for good health. Aim to drink:
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
per day taking in to consideration 20% of it will come from the food and contemplate more if you are physically active or live in a hot climate. Check this post from the Mayo Clinic with an easy and comprehensive guide of the intake of water recommended for you.
· Drink throughout the day ·
Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Aim to drink small amounts of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
Sometimes we forgot this but when you feel thirsty is because your body is telling you that you have a mild dehydration in your body that you need to attend to.
Consider this like when a baby is hungry or sleepy. First they will make a lot gesture and sounds before starting to cry. The same is with the thirst. You will feel a lot of signs from your body before you feel the real need.
Pay attention to the color of your urine that should be colorless or light yellow or better yet use reminders or apps like so you can have your body hydrated before feeling thirsty.
· Eat hydrating food ·
As we said in the first point, normally 20% of your water intake comes from the foods. In addition to drinking water, you can also get hydration from foods. Fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as watermelon, cucumber, and lettuce, can help keep you hydrated.
This will also help you reduce the amount of liquid you need on a day and will make this easier.
· Watch the exercise ·
It’s important to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise. Aim to drink 17-20 ounces of water 2-3 hours before exercise, and 7-10 ounces every 10-20 minutes during exercise. After exercise, drink 20-24 ounces of water for every pound lost.
To make this easier, feel your body. Always take a sip before workout. At the beginning of workout your body will experiment a rapid change in it´s energy needs and will compensate it with the storage that it has, so at take a sip before start and drink as much as you feel to.
After that and during workout, the amount will vary depending on the workout you are doing. But is really important to take at least a 30 second break every 15 minutes to evaluate your water needs.
· Carry a bottle with you ·
It’s easier to stay hydrated if you have access to water throughout the day. Carry a water bottle with you to work, the gym, or on the go.
The easiest thing that you can do here will depend on your style of life. If you are almost all the day in your house, put several bottles with water around the house so you can have them at your reach. Also if you are in an office or moving around, think of buying a good and resistant bottle that you only have to fill once or twice in the whole day.
· Choose smart your drinks ·
Sugary drinks can contribute to dehydration. Choose water over soda, juice, or sports drinks to stay hydrated.
This may sound a little obvious but what you really need to look for is the amount of sodium in your drinks.
According to the FDA, 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is considered low, and 20% DV or more of sodium per serving is considered high. This translate in:
- DV = Daily Value:
- Should be less than 2,300mg per day
- Pay attention to the serving size and the amount of servings per drink or snack
Everything above 350mg per serving will affect more than help.
· Conclusion ·
Staying hydrated is essential for optimal health and fitness. Mainly Know your hydration needs and the just start with small changes on your lifestyle so this become automatic.
Don’t judge yourself if you feel one or two days you didn’t make to the goal. The idea here is not to force yourself to push some amount of water in your body. We want to change and create a new lifestyle.
Last, remember it may feel like a burden to meassure the amount of water every day and we are not looking for that. We The idea is to get use to feel your body needs and learn hoy to distribute it during the day. So, at the beginning try to meassure one day yes and one or two no. That way you will be getting the feeling of how to fulfill your body real needs and then just keep going. You will feel the difference in no time.
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