When it comes to summer time here in the midwest, we not only experience extreme heat but also extreme humidity which can make it that much worse to deal with.
I grew up in a family that has a business in asphalt so I know what extreme heat and being dehydrated can do to a person.
Regardless of being exposed to the heat often or not … I want to share 5 tips with you that can help make sure you are giving your body what it needs during these hot summer months.
With water making up over 60% of your body, it’s crazy to know that 75% of the human population is dehydrated without even knowing it. Being hydrated allows our body to properly regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, improve quality sleep, improve muscle growth, increase fat loss, improve your mood, and so much more!
So to help ensure you are giving your body exactly what it needs to stay hydrated…. Try these out.
1. Watch Your Water Intake
- The average person should be drinking at least half their body weight in ounces of water every single day. If you’re more active, 100 oz or so is a good rule of thumb.
- If getting in water in general is tough for you, some easy recommendations can be: Having a fun water bottle, adding sugar free/low calorie flavoring, set a timer for when you should be at a certain amount, etc.
2. Utilize Electrolyte Supplements
- Electrolytes are essential minerals, which means you need them in order to survive, and your body that doesn’t make them on its own… So you have to take them in either through food or supplements. We lose a lot of our electrolytes through sweating a lot and using the bathroom… so if you’re someone who does a lot of those things, electrolytes are definitely something to look into!
- Some of the main electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, calcium, and phosphorus. So when picking an electrolyte supplement, you want to make sure it has all of those in there.
3. Add salt to foods
- Sodium can be found in salt, and sodium is a transporter of water/hydration to your cells. It works as a magnet to help maintain proper balance of fluid in your cells. Without enough sodium, those cells can then be unbalanced and cause dehydration.
4. Hydrating foods/proper food intake
- Adding more foods like watermelon, oranges, kale, broccoli, beans, potatoes, turkey and chicken your diet can also help with getting those electrolytes in. Proper nutrition is also a game changer when it comes to
5.Limit alcohol/soda/caffeine
- Having excess amounts of alcohol or any sort of caffeine can cause dehydration due to the fact that they are diuretics. Diuretics can cause your body to remove fluids faster which can lead to dehydration much quicker. So if you drink an excess amount of either of these make sure you are drinking and good amount of water and electrolytes along with it.
As always, if you need some extra help with ANYTHING health & fitness related ... just stop into your nearest S2 location!
Our Certified Personal Trainers & Sports Nutrition Specialists will be more than happy to help make sure you're set.
*This article was written by Sage Schuman who is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist.
