July brings cookouts, swimming, and often, hot temperatures. Staying hydrated during the hottest summer months is vital, especially during physical activity. The CDC recommends that young people and adults get 150 minutes of exercise a week; that’s about thirty minutes per day for five days.

 

As you walk, swim, bike, run, hike, or play with kids, don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Being hydrated helps you enjoy the activities you love!

 

What is Dehydration?

Dehydration occurs when we lose more fluid than we drink, and your body doesn’t have enough fluid to do its job. Water makes up about 70% of the human body! You can become dehydrated when you sweat and don’t drink enough to replace the lost fluid. This is especially true during physical activity when you sweat more than usual.

 

How Do I Prevent Dehydration During Physical Activity?

Water is essential for health. Cells, body tissue, and organs all depend on water to function properly. Make it a priority to stay hydrated during summer fun. Drink 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes when exercising.  That’s about half a standard water bottle. When exercising, avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened drinks because they contain extra calories and can dehydrate you further.

 

What are the Signs of Dehydration?

There are a few signs that indicate when we are getting dehydrated. They include extreme thirst, weakness, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, less frequent urination, and dark urine (the color of apple juice).

 

If you are feeling symptoms of dehydration, stop your physical activity and drink water in the shade. If you think you are severely dehydrated, contact your doctor or go to the ER or Urgent Care.

 

Making Hydration Fun

Adding fresh fruit and vegetables to your water, such as lemon slices, orange slices, or cumber slices, using the natural flavors of fruit and vegetables that you like helps you increase your water intake; many beverage companies offer low-calorie flavored water options. The key is to make drinking water fun and remember that staying hydrated contributes to a healthy body.

 

Also remember, you can often prevent dehydration before it ever starts. Drink up and have an active, healthy summer!

 

Naomi Pemberton, MPA, CPC, Senior Project Manager, Office of Community & Population Health, Montefiore Health System