Remember yesterday I mentioned the insane heat that we have here in Alabama, right? 
Well, it’s still hot, and it gets hotter as the day wears on. But with the running lifestyle, you have to be very careful to not become dehydrated while running, or working out for that matter. It’s easy to do because we usually don’t take a drink until we’re thirsty. Here are some things you can do to stay hydrated in this crazy, burning heat:
1. Drink even when you’re not thirsty. By the time you do feel thirst, your body is already beginning to react to symptoms of dehydration. That happened to me once, and I had a bad headache for the rest of the day.
2. Observe the rule of hydrating: 1/2 ounce of water for every pound of body weight. That’s what you would normally consume, but if you’re a heavy exerciser or runner, you want to increase that number by at least 16 to 32 additional ounces.
3. Eat foods with high water content. This includes watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, etc. They’re also great snack and filler foods and they do satisfy.
4. When you drink your fluids, sip them instead of chugging. Doing so helps the body to absorb the fluids s-l-o-w-l-y and distribute them to the muscle tissues and other areas of the body where it’s needed.
Hydration is very serious so please do take it seriously. Don’t wait until there’s a problem or you get sick. Make water and fluid a daily habit and you’ll be thankful for it later!
About Bridget Wright
