How To Stay Hydrated: 7 Tips For An Active Summer
By
Nick Parkinson, M.Ed., AT, ATC, TSAC-F
Henry Ford Health
June 4, 2024
Not only is water an essential nutrient, it makes up your entire being. We’re 40 to 70 percent water, depending on fitness level and age. And while staying hydrated is always important, it may become more challenging as the weather heats up. Hard-working muscles generate more heat when they’re surrounded by hot air, making it harder for your body to maintain a normal temperature.
Even a 1 to 2 percent loss of body weight from water can compromise your performance and impact your body’s ability to cool itself. The heart pumps harder, circulation slows and muscles fatigue more quickly. If the loss creeps up to 3 or 4 percent, you’ll be at increased risk of developing heat-related illness and injury, including cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Even when you’re not active, your body loses more than a quart of water every day through urine, perspiration, sweat and breath, according to the National Institutes of Health. And most days, it’s more than 2.5 quarts.
The goal, of course, is to replace what’s lost. And with a little planning and preparation, you can during any outdoor activity, no matter what the thermometer says. Here’s how:
- Drink before you’re thirsty. Need to quench your thirst? Chances are you’re already dehydrated. Your best defense against dehydration is drinking water on a consistent basis so you never reach the point of thirst.
- Take frequent water breaks. While you might not want to disrupt your workout for a water break, taking time out for some much-needed liquid nourishment will pay off in the long run. Drink 8 to 10 ounces of water (about one full glass) before starting any activity. Once the games begin, drink another 7 to 10 ounces every 20 to 30 minutes.
- Track your intake. Many people don’t know how much water they should drink daily—or even how much water they’re typically downing. If you’re sipping on a 16-ounce bottle, drink eight of them each day—and even more if you’re exercising heavily.
- Consider an electrolyte drink. Working out for more than an hour? Consider sipping a sports drink—or nibbling on some pretzels or a banana to restore lost electrolytes (minerals in the blood that regulate bodily systems). Your body loses important electrolytes like sodium, potassium and chloride when you sweat. A good sports drink can help you replenish them. Coconut water is a great choice, but there are a slew of healthy, low-sugar options on the market.
- Munch on water-rich produce. Water-packed snacks, including melon, berries, bell peppers and grapes, are all good options. A bonus: All of these foods boast a decent hit of electrolytes, too!
- Step on the scale. Weigh yourself before and after a workout. If the scale shows a loss, replenish it with water (gulp 20 to 24 ounces of water for every pound lost). If you’ve lost 3 percent or more of your body weight, chances are you’re severely dehydrated.
- Watch your urine stream. It may seem gross, but checking your pee is probably the best way to determine whether you’re dehydrated. If it looks like watered down, colored lemonade, you’re probably in the clear. But if it’s a deep yellow or light orange, you’re probably not drinking enough fluids.
Keep in mind that heat exhaustion happens quickly—especially during summer activities. It can easily turn into heat stroke, a dangerous condition that can lead to organ damage, seizures, coma and even death. If you feel dehydrated, dizzy or overheated, get out of the sun, sip some water (slowly) and apply cooling compresses to your head, neck and chest. If your symptoms don’t improve quickly, get to a doctor or call 9-1-1.
Nick Parkinson, M.Ed., AT, ATC, TSAC-F, is the supervisor of athletic training and sports performance at Henry Ford Health. Learn more about Nick.
To find a sports medicine provider at Henry Ford Health, visit henryford.com/athletes or call 313-651-1969.
5 Strategies To Improve Range Of Motion
March 6, 2024
When it comes to health and fitness, regular exercise and strength training get the most attention. But it turns out that improving your range of motion may pay greater dividends, particularly over the long haul.
“All kinds of things can impact our range of motion,” says Jennifer Burnham, an athletic trainer at Henry Ford Health. “As we age, our joints become less pliable, but any kind of surgery or injury can also impact our range of motion. And if you're somebody who sits at a desk all day long, that can affect your range of motion as well.”
Why Is Improving Flexibility Important?
Staying active with regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training is a great way to maintain your overall physical health. But it’s important to remember that flexibility exercises come with plenty of perks, too, including:
- Preventing injury
- Staving off arthritis by lubricating joints and tissues
- Improving posture and balance
"Unfortunately, if you have limited range of motion, you may perform tasks incorrectly, causing other muscles and joints to overcompensate for the lack of mobility,” Burnham says. “Over time, that compensation mechanism can increase the risk of injury.”
To complicate matters, our lifestyles often don’t support our range of motion goals. Many of us spend most of our days sitting at a desk or hunched over a screen. And when we’re not sitting still, most of us are slouching.
What Are Some Ways To Improve Range Of Motion?
You don’t have to be able to twist your limbs into a pretzel to achieve full range of motion. Instead, try to improve on your current level of flexibility with these five simple strategies:
- Pay attention to timing. If you’re not ready to add a stretching day to your workout regimen, consider adding a set of flexibility exercises at the end of every session. Pre-workout stretching is helpful, too, but stretching when your muscles are warm is a more effective way to stave off injuries.
- Focus on mobility and stability. Even if you can do the splits or touch your toes to the back of your head, you won’t be able to hold the position if you don’t also have strong core muscles. “Most people do stabilizing exercises such as strength training and lifting weights without paying much attention to mobilizing activities like stretching and yoga,” Burnham says. “But you really need to do both stabilizing and flexibility exercises to get an effective workout.”
- Do a mix of dynamic and static stretches. Two types of stretches can help you gain an edge when it comes to improving range of motion: Dynamic (an active type of stretching where you’re moving within your range of motion) and static stretching (where you hold a stretch). Dynamic stretching with arm and head circles, side stretches, and hip circles before exercise is a good way to warm up cool muscles and help lubricate the joints. With static stretching such as touching your toes to stretch your hamstrings, the goal is to hold a position for 30 seconds or more. Static stretches are often best performed after a workout when your muscles are warm.
- Try foam rolling. Foam rollers act almost like a rolling pin to smooth out tight muscles. Used correctly, they can help improve range of motion — and release stress and tension. You can use foam rollers to prime your body for exercise, or to recover after a workout.
- Aim for balance. If one part of your body is super flexible, focus on increasing range of motion in the opposing muscle group. “So, for example, if your hamstrings are very flexible, make sure to target your quadriceps with flexibility exercises,” Burnham says. “The goal is to make sure you’re aiming for balancing in your body.”
While stretching is an important way to achieve and maintain balance, flexibility and range of motion, it isn’t always intuitive. Not sure where to begin? Consider meeting with a personal trainer or athletic trainer to help you devise a program.
“Watching YouTube videos can be helpful, but if you’ve never done flexibility exercises before, you could overstretch your muscles or find yourself in an incorrect position to stretch,” Burnham says. “And yes, you can create bodily injury by overstretching.”
To find a sports medicine provider at Henry Ford Health, visit henryford.com/sportsmedicine or call 313-651-1969.
Reviewed by Jennifer Burnham, MS, AT, ATC, CSCS, a certified athletic trainer at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine.