Getting Hot Out Here: Drink More Water

By Carrie Bohlmann

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It’s finally warming up! Yes! My favorite time of year, but this is also the time I struggle the most with dehydration.

It seems I can’t drink anything other than water in the summer or I start feeling dehydrated: I get headaches, I feel tired, and my muscles don’t heal as quickly from my workouts, or function as well.

A good rule of thumb for staying hydrated is to drink at least 1/2 of your body weight in ounces, per day.

So if a person is 160 pounds, you want to drink 80 ounces of water per day. If you work out that day, drink even more!

Water is important for circulating nutrients throughout our body; when we are dehydrated, things get stuck and settle rather than transport properly. Water is also a major ingredient in the synovial fluid, which helps lubricate the joints and keep them moving with ease.

Another important thing we need to make sure we are doing is replenishing our body’s supply of electrolytes. Since fluids are found both inside and outside of our cells at about 40% and 20% respectively, when we work out or play hard and sweat, get sick and vomit, or have diarrhea, high fevers, et. al., the fluid balance gets disrupted. Electrolytes are what helps get those fluids back into balance.

Some great ways to replace electrolytes are:

  • eat bananas for potassium
  • eat pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cashews for magnesium
  • drink a glass of milk for calcium
  • add a pinch of salt to water
  • drink vegetable juice or broth for chloride and sodium

You can buy a premade electrolyte replacement drink, but beware that most of these have a lot of added sugar, which we should really try to stay away from.

My favorite way to replace electrolytes is with coconut water. I have been adding it to my smoothie every day for about the past year, and it makes a huge difference in the way I feel on a daily basis.

Have a lot of fun this summer, but stay hydrated, and don’t forget your sunscreen!

After you play hard and enjoy the lovely Colorado weather, come see me to work out all those sore muscles!

 

Posted in Health Tips