It’s summer time!
With summer time comes fun, beach days, vacation trips, and lots of outdoor activity. What else do we face during this season? HEAT! That’s right, with all of this skyrocketing fun also comes skyrocketing temperatures. With the increase in outdoor activity and the rise in temperature, it is important to stay hydrated. How can you make this an easy process?
Here are some helpful tips to make sure you’re getting enough fluids:
- Make sure you know the signs of dehydration. Dehydration can get the best of a lot of us, and it’s very easy to ignore the signs of dehydration if you’re not listening to your body. The signs of dehydration include:
- Dry, irritated, itchy skin
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Decrease in urination
- Dark urine
- Muscle cramps
- Rapid breaths
- Fainting
- Dizziness
- Drink that water! Start your day by drinking a glass of water. End your evening by indulging in a cold glass of water. Drink water throughout the day. Whatever you do, make sure you drink that water!
- Eat foods with a lot of water. About 80% of the water we get every day comes from what we eat, not what we drink. Enjoy fruits and veggies like melons, berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower throughout the summer.
- Cool off. Making sure you stay cool is just as important as drinking water. Wearing light, loose fitting clothes, taking frequent breaks when doing outside activities, and making exercise plans during the cooler parts of the day are all ways to keep cool.
- Remember your sweat. If you stop sweating, you’re already well on your way to a heat stroke due to dehydration. To replenish your body’s ability to sweat, make sure you’re drinking enough fluids before, during, and after your activities.
What’s your favorite way to beat the summer heat and stay hydrated? Let us know!
Additional Resources:
10 Tips for Staying Hydrated During the Summer Heat (frederickhealth.org)