Are you drinking?

This time of year I hear people complaining of tighter than normal joints and muscles, dry skin, headaches, and fogginess to name a few. There could be a dozen reasons all of these things are going on but a lot of times it’s because you are dehydrated.

As the temperature outside starts to change its natural to not think about drinking water as often. You are not sweating as much so it would seem you do not need as much water.

I am afraid to break it to you, but you do still need to mindful to get enough water in. You are still sweating, maybe not as much, but your body is still losing fluid regularly. You are also likely consuming more sodium filled food with parties and holiday meals. This increase in sodium causes your body to pull water from your cells to dilute the sodium causing those poor cells to become dehydrated.

So how do you get enough water when the weather has changed?

The very first thing I do in the morning is drink a bottle of water with electrolytes in there. After a goodnights rest you will be sans liquid for 6-8 hours, putting you in an immediate deficit. Getting those 16oz first thing will rehydrate you and get your system moving.

As most of you know I carry a big jug around with me but you don’t need to do that. That jug just allows me to gauge how much water I have consumed and how much I have left for the day. Maybe you commit to refilling a small bottle a few times a day. The big thing is to set yourself some time goals throughout the day. By 10am, 12pm, 3pm, and 5pm I like to have a certain completed. This spaces things out and ensures I am not consuming too much liquid before I go to sleep.

Another piece of advice on the hydration subject is adding some electrolytes to your water. Electrolytes are what balance the water in your system and in particular in your muscles. When that balance is uneven, the muscles will spasm or cramp. This is why you are more likely to experience that when you are sweating heavily because you are loosing fluid so quickly and causing your body to react. I personally use the BPN brand we carry the gym but you can find some at your local grocery store as well as amazon.

Lastly, if you find yourself wanting to munch more then normal, it’s usually because your body wants some water not because you are hungry. Next time you find yourself in the kitchen between meals, drink a glass of water and give yourself a 15 minute pause. If you are still hungry so ahead and eat. If not, then you just needed some thing to drink.

During these next couple of months it will be easy to skip out on the water you need but I promise if you commit to getting more in you will feel better in more ways then you might realize.

Weekly Movement Motivation!

Onward and upward my friends!