In the northeast we are at the tail end of summer. Kids are back to school and temperatures are lower in the morning and evening, and very pleasant during the day hours with the occasional hot day. It is just as important to stay hydrated this time of year and all year as it is during the summer. It’s just easier to do so now.
Many don’t realize during the summer upon wakening they are in a mild state of dehydration. Which makes sense, unless someone makes a conscious effort to wake up and drink water every once in awhile during the night. Here are 4 reasons to make staying hydrated a priority year round:
- Cardiovascular health – dehydration lowers blood volume so the heart has to work a little harder to pump the lower amount of blood in the heart and get enough oxygen to the body’s cells. Being dehydrated makes daily tasks as well as exercise more difficult. Ever get to the top of a set of stairs and say ” wow that was especially hard today.” Think before you tell yourself ( ” I’m outta shape” ) to figure out if you might be dehydrated.
- Cool water keeps body temperature down – when in a dehydrated state body temperature will increase. Your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the surface of the skin. During exercise this is why people’s faces or skin gets red. The result is more blood flow and more heat released from your body into the air. When dehydrated though it takes a higher temperature to trigger the expansion of blood vessels, so the body stays hotter longer.
- Muscles and joints – water inside and outside of contracting muscles provides nutrients to muscles and helps lubricate joints to enhance performance during exercise. Waking up for an early morning workout and not taking a beverage with you to drink along the way will have you in a deeper state of dehydration post workout.
- Cleansing affect – kidneys need water to remove waste from body and excrete into urine. Proper hydration can also prevent urinary tract infections and kidney stones from forming.
- Courtesy of One Medical.
As an addendum, water doesn’t give our bodies everything all the time. Electrolytes are lost and are essential for the body’s metabolic processes. If you heard about the TB12 method ( Tom Brady) he talks about staying hydrated quite a bit. If you watch games you’ll see him always drinking a bottle with a cloudy substance in it. That is his electrolyte drink. Potassium and magnesium are just two of the essential electrolytes our bodies lose or are deficient in on a daily basis. Purelytes and Liquid I.V are two brands along with the TB12 brand of electrolytes that can provide your bodies with the adequate nutrients it needs for daily living as well as living an active lifestyle. Stay away from Gatorade, Powerade and other older name brands.
It’s important to know that we do NOT get all the nutrients from the typical American diet. Not even close. I have no affiliation with those electrolyte companies, but feel it important to share the importance of staying hydrated on a daily basis, and it’s even more important if you are exercising 3-5 times per week. Drinking when thirsty is the best way to stay on top of this!
