I have some lofty goals for this summer that I know I won’t be able to accomplish unless I focus on hydration. Hydration is an important part of daily life AND to those who are on a weight loss journey. Drinking water helps your metabolism which is something we are all trying to achieve, right?

*Yes, I know I spent a lot of time talking about Nuun in this post. There is no compensation happening here. It’s just a product I love and use on a regular basis. It’s definitely apart of my daily routine.

I can tell you all the reasons why you should drink water and I have many times, but the real reason I’m writing this post today is to tell you about dehydration. If you are keeping an active lifestyle, it becomes easier to spot the signs of dehydration. There’s the dry mouth, increased thirst, and just being tired. Yes, that’s right, being tired is a symptom of dehydration.

It’s been said that a person should have 8 glasses or water per day or roughly half a gallon of water. I also remember watching an episode of The Doctors and they recommended drinking water by thirst instead of trying to get in a set amount of glasses in per day.  For me that won’t work because I would probably end up dehydrated throughout the day.  On a typical day, I drink about 80 oz of water per day.

I suffered from severe dehydration in April after running the Brazos Bend 50K!  It threw my body out of whack for days.  It was pretty rough.  It was a lesson learning experience so I’m being overly cautious about hydrating now!

I know I’m always talking about running and I’m aware people do other workouts outside. Whatever workout you’re doing out in the elements, always remember to stay hydrated.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my hydration routine so I thought I would go ahead and knock that question out right now.

During the day, I try to drink as much water as possible.  I keep water on my desk at work so it’s always in vue.  I will always have 32 ounces of water when I eat a meal.  I know people have a hard time guzzling water and prefer to have some flavor in it.  Try freezing some ice cubes with fruit in it or use a fruit infuser cup to give your water a little extra something if consuming just plain water is a problem for you.

When it comes to those drink mixers like Crystal Light, they taste delicious but I PREFER to stay away from them because of the aspartame factor.  Whenever I consume it, I swell up.  That is not true for most people. Nuun has developed an All Day version of their tab along with an all natural tab. When I need that extra boost, that is what I’m putting in my water.

When I’m working out (strength training, cycling, whatever indoors), I just drink water. It’s it a 45 minute or shorter workout, water usually hits the spot. I do have a rule for everyone who comes to my class, I would like them to be done with their water bottle by the end of the class.  I don’t force the issue but most people do try to drink regularly throughout their workout.

When I’m working out outside for an extended amount of time, I tend to go for the sports drink.

Pre-run I do use Nuun Hydration. I love watermelon flavor and it’s back in stock.  I also use it after my runs, especially those long runs when I need it the most. I haven’t been using it during my runs because in most cases you’re not going to find it on a race course. I like to train with what’s on course because it’s readily available. But I’ve been training with it on the regular now so I’m learning how to carry it with me on longer runs. I did get lucky during the St. Jude Marathon though because it was on course. Right now, I’m experimenting with a mix of Nuun and coconut water during my trail races since I have more space to carry stuff with me during those runs.  It’s a mix that has worked for me and my stomach issues.

I sometimes run with a frozen water bottle too.  When it’s really hot it doesn’t make that much of a difference, but it keeps the water cooler longer.  If you’re going to be working out in the heat this is always a good option.

There are other sports drinks out there besides Nuun, but that is just the one a prefer.  Find the sports drink that works for you.  Why do I prefer Nuun?  Each tab is 10 calories and it’s light.  It doesn’t have an overwhelming sugary taste that sometimes makes my stomach go bonkers.

Post workout, it’s VERY important to cool down and hydrate.  This should be the time when you are thirsty and water should be your first choice.  If you were outside for an extended amount of time, (90 minutes or more) then you should also reach for a sports drink.

What do you drink during your workouts?  How many ounces of water do you drink a day? Are you getting enough?