Easy Tips and Tricks to Stay Hydrated This Summer
As soon as the weather heats up, we all love to get outside! Whether going for a hike or run, doing yard work, sunbathing, or chasing the kids around, getting outside on a nice sunny day is great for our physical and mental health. As we all can attest to, spending more time in the warm sunny weather means sweating more, and if we don’t keep on top of our fluid and food intake, it’s easy to get dehydrated. It can be difficult to tell when we are getting dehydrated, but being aware of signs like lightheadedness and fatigue can help determine if this is the case. Keeping hydrated is not only beneficial to general health, but it boosts physical activity, helps improve cognitive functioning, delays fatigue, promotes proper digestion, and keeps cells and skin healthy. Follow these easy tips below to keep yourself hydrated this summer!
1. Pace Your Fluid Intake
Waiting until the end of the day to drink all of your fluids is not the best strategy for hydration as it does not optimize your hydration status and can lead to increased late-night bathroom trips, which can have a negative impact on your sleep. It’s best to drink fluid throughout the day. Use the tip below to space out your water and fluid intake throughout the day and prevent dehydration!
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- Tip: Include 8-16 ounces of water or another beverage with all meals and snacks
2. Listen To Your Bodies Thirst Ques
It’s always important to listen to your body’s thirst cues. This becomes even more imperative in the summer months when we can get dehydrated quicker and more frequently given the outdoor environment. Your body will give you signs when you are starting to get dehydrated. We have listed some of these signs for you. It is critical to note that heat can blunt thirst cues. So, it’s vital to also drink throughout the day, as we discussed above!
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- Tip: Thirst cues from your body can include dry mouth, fatigue, and even headaches.
3. Vary Your Fluids
Water is not the only fluid that can keep you hydrated. You can keep hydration fun by including other beverages in your day. Variety helps prevent burnout or developing a dislike for water. All of the fluid options below are great options for providing variety in your daily hydration plan!
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- Tip: Coffee, tea, sparkling water, milk/milk alternative. (Yes, we said coffee! Research has shown that a moderate amount of coffee does not have a dehydrating effect.)
4. Carry A Reusable Water Bottle
There are so many trendy reusable water bottles available for purchase. It’s easy to find a reusable water bottle that fits your lifestyle. Not only are reusable water bottles great for the environment, but they also allow us to have access to water wherever we are throughout our busy days! Increasing access to water throughout the day increases the likelihood of keeping hydrated.
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- Tip: We recommend to get either a 24 or 32 ounce water bottle and to fill it up before you leave for the day.
- Tip: Whenever you are near a water fountain/water refilling station throughout the day fill up!
- Tip: Remember to wash your water bottle regularly to prevent buildup of dirt and germs.
5. Include A Salty Snack With Your Water
Drinking fluid is the foundation of hydration but electrolytes like salt are also key! We do not need to use electrolyte powders or beverages to get the electrolytes we need to stay hydrated. We lose 5 electrolytes overall in our sweat. These electrolytes are sodium , potassium, magnesium , calcium, and chloride. Sodium is the only electrolyte most recreationally active individuals lose in large enough quantities during exercise to replace. Eating a salty snack along with your water is a much less expensive way to get the sodium you need to help you rehydrate or keep hydrated after moderate to high physical activity this summer. Try some of these salty snacks!
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- Trail mix , pretzels, crackers & hummus , pickles , dried edamame & nuts, popcorn
6. Increase Intake Of Fruits and Vegetables
Many fruits and vegetables are comprised of over 50% water which makes them a great tool to keep hydrated. Including 2-3 servings of fruits and or vegetables in your day is an easy way to prevent dehydration in the summer months! A serving of a fruit is usually one small piece or ½ cup. A serving of a vegetable is typically ½ cup. See below for fruits and vegetables that contain the most water.
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- Fruits: watermelons , strawberries , cantaloupe, oranges , pineapple
- Vegetables: cucumber, spinach , zucchini, celery, bell peppers
We know that summer can be a busy time. Between summer camps , vacation, sports, and work it can be easy to let things fall through the cracks, like hydration. Using the tips discussed above to stay on top of your hydration this summer can help you to feel less fatigued and more focused to take on the days tasks and can also help to improve your exercise performance and recovery! You do not need to implement all of these changes at once. Choose one or two of these tips that you feel work best with your lifestyle and start there. Once you get comfortable you can continue to add more hydration into your daily routine!
Meet Shelby! Shelby joined the Time To Thrive Team in June 2024. She started her career working as a pediatric dietitian and over the last few years she transitioned to working in the sports and performance nutrition field. As an active female, she uses her knowledge and love for nutrition to fuel her own exercise and busy life. She has a passion for helping people of all ages do the same!
