Stay Hydrated To Benefit Your Training

We often need to be reminded to stay hydrated during training. Many individuals feel they need to wait until they are thirsty to drink fluids. But let’s face it, if we wait until we feel thirsty, we are already dehydrated.

Remembering to drink fluids keeps us healthy and supports our training. As a Personal Trainer, I mindfully teach that staying hydrated is important for healthy circulation, healthy blood pressure, as well as improved muscle function and performance.

There are many journals and fitness trackers that can help you keep track of your fluid intake, so no excuses anymore! There are also phone apps, like my JustCoach App, that you can use to track your dietary and fluid intake.

Here are my top ways to help you stay hydrated while training:

drink your way to optimal fitness

Set a timer on your sports watch

If you set your timer to specific intervals, like every five or ten minutes, hearing that beep will remind you to take a sip of water. This is a great tool for runners and other athletes that are too busy competing, or training so intensely that they often forget to drink fluids. Using an interval timer as a reminder can help keep you training strong.

While built in music players and contactless payments are nice features to have on your watch when you are getting some miles in, it’s the ability to have that extra hit of hydration data that could improve performance and keep you safe…that’s what I want.

Use fruits as your fuel/snack during training

Fruits, such as watermelon, grapes, and oranges, have a high-water content. Eating fruits that have a high-water content can help make up some of the fluids lost in sweat as well as replenish natural electrolytes.

Did you know that starfruit is the #1 most hydrating fruit on the planet, with more than 91% of its body consisting of water? When was the last time you had a starfruit? Time to get one in pre or post workout…

The fructose in fruit can also naturally rise blood glucose levels so that your blood sugar does not get too low while working out. Happily, fruits are as versatile as they are delicious. Be open to trying new things when exploring your options on fruit intake…

Remembering to drink after your workout

Replenishing lost fluids after a workout is important because it helps to speed up recovery time. Muscles are able to repair themselves faster when the body is well hydrated.

When you replace the fluids you lose from sweat, you’ll reduce the risk of heat stress, maintain a normal body function, and maintain high performance levels. It makes sense that an Optimal Fitness Game Plan includes proper hydration before, during and after workout. And here are my guidelines for your active lifestyle:

Be creative with your hydration

Hydration doesn’t always have to be a sports drink or water. For a fun twist and a hydrating summertime treat, take your favorite sports drink and pour it into popsicle molds so that you can enjoy a frozen treat after your workout to help you cool off and replace lost electrolytes.

Try infusing your water with your favorite fruits or a splash of 100% fruit juices. Think about soups and gazpachos (cold blended soups for the summertime) to get additional hydration with essential nutrients pre or post workout.

Don’t forget to invest in a fun bottle or cup. It might seem silly to place such importance on using the right bottle, but if you really LOVE your bottle, then you will use it. Works for me!

What are some of your personal favorite ways to keep hydrated? I’d love to hear more about your Optimal YOU Journey!