By Coach Pax & Victoria
Approximate Reading Time: 2-4 min
60% of our bodies are water but it’s constantly leaving our bodies throughout the day in our sweat, urine, detoxification by-products and even our very breath. It’s vital that we replenish lost water. But here’s the problem - what does enough look like? We may think we’re hydrating our parched bodies enough but do we know for sure?
What does dehydration look like?
When you are dehydrated, you might experience some of the following symptoms:
Constant thirst
Headaches
Drying of the skin, mouth, nose, and eyes
Weakness or sleepiness
Increased body temperature
Cramping
Dehydration can happen slowly whether it be the result of a few days of under-replenishing fluids or overnight by moderate alcohol consumption and impaired sleep. Dehydration can also happen very fast over the course of an hour of intense exercise.
So, what is good hydration?
Good hydration has a lot of variables like your activity level and caffeine or alcohol consumption to name a few. Environmental conditions also play a huge part in hydration - we lose more water in warmer months and during times of increased temperature such as in a sauna or a hot-yoga class. Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be! The number one thing to be aware of is your own feeling of thirst. Be hyper aware of your natural desire for water and make it a habit to drink water often, especially when you are sweating.
What do good hydration habits look like?
It’s not as simple as drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Here are 4 steps to create a solid foundation every day:
Upon waking, drink 500ml of water (2 cups). Since we continue to lose water while we sleep, it makes sense to replenish our cells first thing. Make it a habit to wake up and immediately hydrate with a big glass of water.
Carry a water bottle and drink from it often. Let your feeling of thirst be your guide.
Rehydrate after completing a workout. Add some slow breaths while you’re at it and your nervous system will thank you for easing it back into ‘rest and digest’ mode. After that then you can start thinking about digesting that high-protein post-workout meal!
Electrolytes, electrolytes, electrolytes! When your body is low on electrolytes, the minerals and compounds that help your body function, it can’t optimally perform its duties such as produce energy, contract muscles and build new tissue to name a few. My three personal favorite ways to boost electrolytes is by adding ¼ tsp of unrefined sea salt or Himalayan salt to 500ml of water plus a slice of cucumber or lemon, VEGA Sport Hydrator or Ultima Replenisher.
For me, it comes down to performance. If I don’t hydrate well, I lack energy and focus during the day. Life just seems harder and slower. My workouts suffer; I feel like napping more and my digestion slows down. Poor hydration has a profoundly negative impact.
So how’s your hydration? Is your foundation in place? If not, try practicing the above steps for a month and see how you feel. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Cheers!
