Summer may not officially begin until June 21, but for many of us, the heat is already here. I’m always encouraging anyone and everyone to spend more time outside, but as the temperature climbs we need to remember other Habits of Health.
Drink water. Habits of Healthy Hydration are always critical and bolster all other areas of our health. When the heat is on, however, water can quite literally save your life.
4 Tips for Habits of Healthy Hydration
Here’s what you need to know about summer hydration:
- The CDC recommends that we drink 1 cup (8 ounces of water) every 15 to 20 minutes to protect from heat stress but not more than 48 ounces per hour.
- Exercise in hot conditions can increase your sweat rate by 10 to 20 percent, according to the National Institute of Health.
- If you weigh yourself before and after exercise, you can estimate how much water you lose (every pound is about 16 ounces of water). The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center recommends drinking 80 to 100 percent of that loss while exercising to maintain optimal performance.
- If the medical research and the calculations are intimidating for you, that’s okay. Keep your water bottle handy in hot weather, sip from it regularly, and don’t depend on your thirst response to tell you when to drink. Your thirst response is a red-alert mechanism in your body, and we want to keep you from getting that dehydrated in the first place.
Beat the Heat, But Respect the Heat
Habits of Healthy Hydration provide a big boost to your overall health, but they don’t make you invincible. If you’re in the sun for long periods of time, wear protective clothing, be wary of any feelings of exhaustion or dizziness, and take breaks when you can. Summers are much happier when you’re making healthy choices!