Three Ways to Keep Hydrated

Staying hydrated is important for your day to day wellbeing. It’s all too easy to become dehydrated: a hotter than average day, hitting the gym, getting sick, even breathing depletes your fluid reserves, and that can lead you into dehydration.

Today we’re looking at ways you can keep hydrated throughout the day – or rehydrated yourself when you really need to!

Water Bottles

Simply keeping a water bottle with you throughout the day can really help. It keeps a convenient way of hydrating alongside you, from home, through your commute, at work and wherever you go afterwards, from the gym to the theatre!

Modern water bottles for the health conscious aren’t simply ways to cart water around, though. Some let you infuse fruit into your water for added flavour. More sophisticated bottled track your water intake, and remind you to take a drink using light and sound. Investing in one of these water bottles is a great way to maintain basic hydration through a normal day.

What Does ‘Isotonic’ Mean?

If you’re putting your body through more strain than normal, whether it’s a session in the gym or doing some work in the garden, then you need to work harder to keep yourself hydrated. This is even more important if you’re sick: whether you’re perspiring with a fever or suffering from vomiting or diarrhea, you’re dehydrating. When your body uses water, it also uses the electrolytes dissolved in that water: these are soluble salts that are used for important functions in the body. This is why your sweat tastes salty, and also why it’s important to top up your electrolytes on a hot day, as well as your water reserves!

Isotonic sports drinks contain the same balance of salts as your internal fluid reserves – this is what isotonic means – so you replenish your electrolytes as you drink them!

Rehydration Solutions

Unfortunately, isotonic drinks aren’t always the best answer. They can be heavy to carry around, expensive, and also contain quite a lot of glucose (sugar) which can be difficult if the reason you’re working up a sweat is to work on your weight!

Fortunately other options exist. Rehydrations tablets and powders dissolve in water, and add a dose of the electrolytes you need. They’re light and easy to carry around, gentle on the stomach, so a good option if you’re feeling ill, and last for ages, so they’re equally good to keep in your medicine cabinet or your gym bag till whenever you need them. It’s well worth stocking up on a product like ORS sport rehydration tablets to help you stay hydrated.