Staying Hydrated
It’s officially summertime, and it’s officially HOT. If you want to stay cool and stay safe, you’ll need to stay hydrated. Drinking enough water is important in the summer. When it’s hot, we sweat more, which means we lose our body’s water supply faster, making it easier to become dehydrated. Your body, including your most important organs, needs hydration to stay healthy and function. Without enough fluids, you can become incredibly sick quickly, so the stakes are high.
Here’s how to stay hydrated and stay safe:
- Drink water: Not every kind of drink will help you stay hydrated. Caffeinated beverages, as well as sugary drinks and energy drinks, can have a dehydrating effect on the body. When it comes to hydration, water is your best bet.
- Drink frequently: Stop every so often to take a drink. When you are rehydrating consistently, it’s easier to stay balanced. If you’re tired of drinking plain water and need some flavor to stay motivated to keep drinking, consider drinking fruit juice or adding a little non-caffeinated flavor to your water.
- Drink before you get thirsty: By the time you are feeling thirsty, you are already a little dehydrated, so make sure to drink even when you don’t feel like you need it.
- Know the signs of dehydration: A dry mouth, muscle cramps, bad breath, fatigue, confusion, a rapid heartbeat, drowsiness and vomiting are all signs of dehydration. While a dry mouth may indicate a mild case of dehydration, vomiting and heart palpitations may indicate severe dehydration.
- If you are dehydrated, cool down: If you feel dehydrated, take a break and cool down. If you are outside, try to go into an air-conditioned space and place a cold, wet compress on your forehead. Rehydrate and check in with yourself to make sure you can safely start performing your activity again safely. If you are feeling severely dehydrated, seek medical help.
Question
- On a scale of 1-10, how good are you at staying hydrated?
- What are some ways you try to stay hydrated?
- Do you know the signs of dehydration in yourself and others?
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