With hot, sticky weather in the forecast, it’s easy to become dehydrated, especially after exercising in the sun or spending a day at the beach. But dehydration can lead to heat stress that leaves you cramping and even becoming confused and irritable—or worse if you experience a heat stroke.
Of course, the best way to stay hydrated is to drink plenty of water and avoid over exerting yourself in the sun or intense heat. But there are some other tips for staying hydrated that can make it easier to stay healthy through the summer months. Keep reading to learn more or contact Water Boy for a water delivery service that will help you keep your refrigerator stocked—and stay hydrated in the process!
The Importance of Staying Hydrated
If you’ve never experienced severe heat stress before, you may not realize how important it is to stay hydrated during the summer when there’s excessively hot weather. Failing to stay hydrated can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even a heatstroke—which can be potentially deadly.
Common signs of dehydration include:
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Irritability
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Headache
- Exhaustion
As soon as you start to experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to increase your water intake, get out of the heat, and follow the tips below.
Tips for Staying Hydrated
Although drinking water to stay hydrated may seem like common sense, it’s often difficult to remember how valuable water actually it is—and it only becomes more valuable when you sweat more than normally.
There are certain tips for staying hydrated that outline the most important times to drink water and to learn other ways to complement your water intake. They include:
- Drink water before, during, and after each workout.
- Avoid drinking alcohol the day before a long exercise or working out while hung over.
- Eat water-based foods like fruit and soup.
- If you have a strenuous workout or exercise for over an hour in excessively hot conditions, complement drinking water with a sports drink.
- Drink water before you eat.
- Bring water bottles with you wherever you go, especially if you’re doing something outdoors like going hiking.
- Monitor your weight before and after workouts—if you lose weight quickly, you’ve probably lost water weight and should drink more fluids.
Although sports drinks are helpful during a strenuous workout, drinking plenty of water is the best way to stay hydrated in the summer. Typically, it’s recommended that women drink two liters a day, and men three. However, if you exercise often and sweat a lot you may need to drink more water to stay properly hydrated.
Bottled Water in the Tampa Area
In order to drink enough water, it’s important to keep your refrigerator stocked and bring bottled water with you wherever you go. But if making constant trips to the store and keeping track of your family’s (or office’s) water intake seems like too much, a bottled water delivery service may be just what you need. And Water Boy can help! Just set up a regular water delivery service with us and you won’t have to worry about a thing. Contact us today for bottled water in the Tampa area.