10 Tips for Good Hydration to Stay Active and Healthy

Good hydration is essential to help your body function properly. Discover our advice to drink water effectively in everyday life and in certain situations such as hot weather or during physical exertion.

1- Minimum Water Requirement for Daily Hydration:

You have certainly heard it, again and again, to drink water at regular intervals. It is necessary for the proper functioning of the body and organs. At least 1.5L each day is good to maintain body hydration.

Why? Simply, because the body loses about 2.5L daily, through urine, stool evacuation, sweating through the skin, breathing, and tears. That’s why you need to replenish your body’s reserves. Since your diet (fruits and vegetables in particular) is supposed to provide you 1L per day, you must bring the rest through drinks. It is estimated that 1.5L corresponds to approximately 8 glasses of water a day. In short, it is at all not difficult to drink water at regular intervals!

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2- Pregnant or Breastfeeding? Drink Water without Moderation

The pregnant woman needs to drink water a lot to cover her own needs as well as of her baby. 90% of the weight of the fetus is water, not to mention the amniotic fluid that protects it. This is why pregnant women are advised to hydrate even more than usual, around 2L (approximately 10 glasses of water).

As for the breastfeeding woman, her water needs are increased tenfold. It must, therefore, be careful not to be dehydrated herself. She must drink water 2.5L to 3L per day (i.e. between 12 and 16 glasses of water). In fact, breast milk is 87% water. It is estimated that the mother uses about 600 to 700 ml of water a day minimum to produce the milk.

3- Water – The Best Drink

To replenish the body’s reserves, water remains the best drink. For example, simply drinking tea is not the most moisturizing because it prevents the proper absorption of iron, magnesium, calcium or vitamins B1 and B6. In addition, it is a powerful diuretic. Coffee increases blood glucose and can cause hypoglycemia during sports. Let’s not even talk about sodas and other very sweet drinks, which will not hydrate you effectively. So, it is important to drink water on a regular basis.

Read More: Need of Water around Training and In Competition

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4- Watch the Heat Level:

In hot weather, our body perspires more to maintain a constant temperature and thus preserve our vital organs. As a result, you must drink water more. So remember to hydrate yourself accordingly to compensate for the loss of water, you need at least 2 liters per day. Also, train infants and seniors. With age, the feeling of thirst is disrupted. Since 80% of the baby’s body is water, good hydration is vital. As for the elderly, it is his muscles that are likely to take a hit, since they are largely composed of water. Not to mention that the heat wave can sometimes have dramatic consequences in case of extreme dehydration. Remember to offer water regularly to these age groups.

5- Do Not Wait To Be Thirsty:

This is the basic rule, and yet it is often forgotten. It is necessary to drink water regularly but in small quantity throughout the day to limit the losses of water because the intestine takes 20 minutes to absorb it. Do not wait until you are thirsty, because it means that you are already dehydrated by about 1% of your water content. In addition, drinking in one go depletes kidney function and dilutes mineral salts. This is very bad for human health.

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6- Think about Fruits and Vegetables:

Even in a diet, water-rich fruits and vegetables are very important. They will allow you to stay well hydrated throughout the day. Productions in summer such as melon, watermelon, cucumber, green salad, zucchini, tomato, peach or apricot are good foods that contain a lot of water.

7- Beware of Certain Drugs:

It is possible that dehydration can be caused by the consumption or injection of certain drugs. For example, some molecules against hypertension, some anti-depressants, anti-inflammatory. If you take a treatment in the middle of a heat wave, do not hesitate to seek the advice of your pharmacist and must drink water frequently.

Read More: Ten Knee Injuries Frequently Happening Around

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8- Drink Before During and After the Sport:

If you involve in physical activity, and especially if it is intense, think well to hydrate well. In the case of dehydration, you will be at the risk of your muscular capacities fall drastically (2% of dehydration is equivalent to a fall of 20%). An athlete can lose 1L of water during a session. If your dehydration stage exceeds 5% you may even lose consciousness with “heat stroke” because your body will no longer be able to regulate itself.

It is generally recommended that marathoners drink water equivalent of 1L before 3 hours of the race but in small quantities to avoid overweight stomach. For a normal session, plan a few sips 10 minutes before the start of the training session to keep energy. If you do more than an hour of effort, then you must also hydrate during the effort. The ideal during a race is to drink every 15 minutes about 10 to 15 ml. And of course, hydrate yourself at the end of the session. Always keep the best water bottle to drink at regular intervals.

Note that it can also be interesting to compare their qualities to know what water to drink and when. If it is before your session, all the waters are perfect. During the effort, it can be interesting to drink natural mineral water rich in magnesium (important for the nervous balance). While, after the effort, drink water rich in Bicarbonate may help to reduce the acidity of the muscles.

9- Focus on Sports Drinks:

To avoid the risk of cramps, contractures or tendonitis after this outflow of energy, it is important to drink water well to restore the balance, but also think of restoring your electrolyte balance when your session exceeds two hours. There are drinks specially dedicated to carbohydrates (sugars), proteins, and minerals such as sodium, magnesium, potassium or calcium.

Read On: Raise Your Water Bottle to Stay Hydrated

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10- Beware of False Beliefs:

Some people with water retention think they need to drink less water to force the body to draw on its reserves. This is not only very dangerous for health because you will be exposed to dehydration and it is a false belief.

In short, you must actually drink water on a regular basis when you do water retention. To provide sufficient hydration to one’s body every day, it is also necessary to treat one’s diet, especially by focusing on foods rich in water and always carry the water bottle with you.