Hydration – Keep it simple (5mins read)

7 Simple Sips

Hydration has been a question and topic of discussion for a long time. It can be confusing, which makes it all seem too hard and for most people, they just don’t do anything. 

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(Picture credit tree of life nutrition – https://www.treeoflifenutrition.com.au/h-is-for-hydration/)

Keeping well hydrated can be surprisingly difficult!

Our thirst can be so easily over-looked, commonly mistaken for hunger signals as we journey through our busy lives.

“Why are adequate fluids so important

for optimal health and physical performance?”

Dehydration (low levels of water in the body causing harm) can have a negative impact on so many important things throughout your day, such as:

  • Mental focus
  • Mood control
  • Your ability to exercise well
  • Recovery times
  • Energy levels
  • and other regular bodily functions.

To get you back on track and ready to tackle your next physical and/or mental challenges.

So here are 7 simple sips (pun intended) to help you throughout your days.

Fancy Formulas

You can roughly estimate your fluid needs by multiplying 35-45ml per kilogram of your body weight per day.

Example: 65kg female, 35-45ml x 65kg = 2300ml – 2900ml/ day

Use this as your guide to get you through each day. 

It is also important to note though, that there are things that will have an effect on your hydration levels, such as:

  • Frequency and intensity of exercise
  • Weather
  • Increased sweating – (you can lose up to 2-3L of sweat in 1 hour of high intensity exercise)
  • Illness and increased body temperature

If you experience any of the following on any given day, then you should increase your water intake. 

The key is to listen to your body and understand YOUR signs of dehydration. 

Colour?! (we’re talking about your urine)

The lighter, the better.

Dark yellowish urine can mean a higher concentration and therefore not enough water.

Pale yellow/clear wees show a greater state of hydration!

So pay attention to your wee, if you notice it darker, go have a nice big refreshing drink of water.

Easy access

Plan ahead. Fill multiple water bottles or jugs, and make them accessible whereever you go.

  • Car
  • Bedroom
  • Fridge/Work fridge
  • Desk
  • Lounge room

This one is simple, make some minor lifestyle changes and create a plan that works for you. The more access you have to water, the more you’ll end up drinking.

Go a little FRUITY!

Get creative with your water bottle. Add some of your favourite fruits e.g. orange, lemon or lime! If you’re a little adventurous, chuck in mint and apple! For those who prefer flavoured drinks, this is an amazing way to freshen up the taste!

Clock It!

Set yourself time targets.

Working by the clock reminds you to drink fluids while you are busy completing other daily tasks. Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone and make sure you have acheived your goal by the time the alarm goes off.

Example of daily goals:
  1. Aim to drink 1L of fresh water by 12pm.
  2. Aim to drink 2L of fresh water by 6pm.

 

Get a little bit salty

If you train, exercise, play a sport, etc. especially for anything over 90mins of moderate to high intensity. Grab an electrolyte filled drink (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.).

They are perfect for replenishing lost fluids without having to drink HUGE amounts of water.

There are plenty of flavours and brands to choose from, find one that you like. Just don’t go using them as a replacement for water. Remember, they help you rapidly increase the lost electrolytes that you sweated out during your hard training/game. 

Pre-Game!

Hydrating before exercise can create a massive difference in your performance and recovery time.

Here’s a little formula you can work with to help you pre-game/exercise.

“5mL/Kg body weight of water or sports drinks within at least 4 hours prior to exercise”.

Example: 80kg Male – 5mL x 80kg = 400mL over 2 hours 4pm-6pm ready for 6pm run.

Your hydration can and will have a positive effect on so many areas of your day to day life. If it’s something that you struggle with, use the tips above to create healthy habits that can keep you more hydrated every day.

Good luck! And keep those wees clear!

Emily Rault

2018-04-26T00:59:04+10:00

About the Author:

Denee Lalouette
A UFT PLAYground is a place that people of all shapes, sizes and ages learn to develop their movement abilities through an infinite learning and development program. UFT PLAYgrounds have been created to re-inspire our natural ability to move, create, adapt, re-act, connect, have fun and of course PLAY. PLAYgrounds have been developed to allow people to feel and explore their own abilities by utilising a multidimensional, infinite, creative and PLAYful approach to training. We live in a world full of specialists and obsessions. At an ever increasing rate, people are specialising more and more, in their jobs, in their businesses, in their sport and in their training. The result, is a backward step in human evolution. By specialising, we limit ourselves to thinking that 1 particular way of doing things is the right way, or the only way. We promote creativity, not only in movement and training methodologies but in thinking in general. A UFT PLAYground is created to provide the general public with an opportunity to PLAY across multiple styles of training and moving, to be able to progress in the training methods that they become passionate about or that excites them and to be a part of a community that promotes more than just fitness. The “fitness” industry above all others has brought about a need to specialise in order to achieve anything, and majority of what we do for “fitness” is for an aesthetically pleasing reason. We understand that aesthetics are nice and we too love to look and feel good. However a UFT PLAYground is developed to allow people to move better than ever before across a broad range of training methodologies and ideas. Aesthetics, therefore are a result not a goal of that system. We know that “If you train to look good, you will not always enjoy what you do, but if you PLAY a lot, and do the things that you love, you will ending up looking good”. Aesthetics should be a result not a goal. For years now, we have recognised that the best movers on the planet are children. They are flexible, mobile & fit, they have better relative strength than a typical adult (and even most adolescents), they are the best creators and innovators, they learn faster, the adapt better, they interact better with other people, they are more connected to nature and most importantly, they PLAY more than anyone else. As adults, we tend to believe that because we are taller and more experienced in “life”, we are better, and then we get to an age that says we are “too old to PLAY”. As we grow taller (and in a lot of cases rounder), we experience things that inhibit our ability to move, think and not think. We allow our experiences to limit our abilities as humans, whether it be a physical injury, a story that we heard or a youtube video that we watched. We also allow our emotions to control our behaviour because of our past experiences. Maybe it was the feeling of humiliation when we tried something new, regret when we failed or heart break when it was taken away from us. Because of this, we allow our experiences to control our future instead of learning from them and creating our own . This is what UFT PLAYground’s are built on. The understanding that we as humans need to go back to the way things were before our negative experiences took over our subconscious mind and body. A UFT PLAYground gives people the ability to re-learn what they have lost, as well as develop new sets of skills that will allow them to follow any particular passion that they uncover in PLAYtime. When we PLAY, we are simply, exploring. Through exploring we become curious and through curiosity we become obsessed or passionate about a particular thing. This is why in a PLAYground we allow people to PLAY across a broad range of training systems (minimum of 3), Through this system they are able to identify 1, their current limitations and be educated on how to overcome them, and 2, identify their passions and learn to develop, grow and excel in them. UFT PLAYgrounds are also a development centre for up and coming entrepreneurs in the fitness industry. Each PLAYground founder will have been trained and will be continuously trained in UFT’s Trainer Success System. This system allows personal trainers, coaches, teachers, instructors, etc. to continue to develop in their fields of specialty (as they play they will find it) and in the philosophy of PLAYtime. They will also be trained in the business systems of UFT in order to have their own successful and profitable business. See UFT Trainer Success System for more details.

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