Summer is a great time for outdoor activities, but it also increases people’s risk of dehydration.
Lack of water can reduce mental activity and physical coordination.
It can also lead to fatigue, kidney disease, heart stress, and other health issues.
Roger Fielding, director of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Laboratory at Tufts University provides important tips to help people avoid dehydration.
According to him, there are eight things people can do to get enough water when they do outdoor exercises.
Know how much water you need. It is important to know your dehydration risk before you start to lose too much fluid from sweating.
For most men, 15 cups of water every day is adequate; for women, 11 cups of water is enough. Women who are pregnant or lactating need more water.
Track how much water you drink during the day. One method is to fill a container in the morning with the amount of water you need to drink in a day.
You should finish it before the end of the day.
You can also check the color of your urine. If it is deep yellow, you need to drink more water.
Build new water-drinking habits. Good drinking habits include drinking water before a meal, before you get out of bed in the morning, and before you start a new activity.
It can be helpful to carry a water bottle when you go out. Also, you can keep a quart container in view at work to remind you to drink water.
Pay attention to the weather. High temperature can make people dehydrated, and humidity can make it even worse. People sweat more in humid weather and can lose more body fluid.
It is better to reschedule your outdoor exercise when humidity is at its worst.
Eat a diet rich in water. For example, you can include soups and stews into your regular diet, along with water-dense fruits and vegetables such as melons, grapes, oranges, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, and peppers.
Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. The researcher says that for people who are just recreationally active, sugar cannot help rehydrate more quickly.
Most people should avoid sugary drinks, as well as sweetened drinks with added electrolytes. They can make people lose not enough electrolytes through sweat.
Drink water even if you are not thirsty. The brain triggers thirst in response to low fluid balance in the body. You don’t need to wait for the signal to drink water.
Older people often feel or notice thirst less than others, and this can make them dehydrated more easily. Remember that losing just 2% of body fluid can lead to physical and cognitive impairment.
Don’t worry about drinking too much water. Drinking too much water, especially right before exercise, can lead to gut distress, but most people don’t have to worry because the body can regulate fluid very well.
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