Don't Forget to Hydrate

Look out for common signs of dehydration and follow these tips to keep hydrated!

Warm weather is around the corner which means hydration becomes even more important, especially for those who exercise outside. While all adults should be aiming for 80-110z of fluid per day, no matter the time of year, warmth and humidity will drastically increase fluid goals. Here are a few ways to stay on top of hydration and symptoms to keep an eye on to avoid dehydration.

• Keep a refillable bottle on hand so you are never without water. There are even bottles available with built in alerts that remind you to drink!

• Set fluid intake benchmarks throughout the day. One bottle between waking up and an AM snack, another bottle between AM snack and lunch, etc.

• Make water more interesting with fruit, mint, cucumber and flavored water enhancers.

• Use an app, like Plant Nanny, to encourage water intake and track fluid across the day.

• Drink equal amounts of water to non-water beverages.

Many adults are chronically dehydrated and may not even realize it. Check out these common symptoms of dehydration to assess your hydration status.

• Headaches can be caused by a number of factors, dehydration being a common culprit. You may also notice dizziness or lightheadedness as symptoms of dehydration.

• Heavy salt content left behind after workouts. Everyone has a different concentration of salt in their sweat, but the less water available, the more concentrated the salt will be when it leaves your pores and builds on your skin and clothing.

• It is normal to see dark urine within the first couple hours of the day, but as the day progresses, your urine should be progressively lighter and stay close to clear for the afternoon and evening hours. Dark urine throughout the day likely indicates dehydration.

• Muscle cramps when training or at rest are often caused by dehydration and/or an imbalance of electrolytes. As muscle tissue becomes more dehydrated, pulls, strains and tears become more likely as well.

• Thirst is a pretty obvious sign of dehydration, and you can pay attention to saliva and skin texture as well. Thick and ‘”sticky” saliva, and skin tightness and cracking are also indicators of dehydration.