Week Three: Stay on Your Hydration Game!

Don’t forget to drink water when you are active, whether you’re doing so inside or outdoors. The human body is about 60 percent water. Getting enough H20 is essential to your health for a variety of reasons. Water has an assortment of roles, from providing energy for your muscles to keeping your skin looking healthy. No matter what time of year, it is important to stay on top of your hydration game. When you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to a multitude of scary health issues from swollen feet or a headache to life-threatening illnesses such as heat stroke. You lose water constantly from breathing, sweating and digesting, so it’s important to keep restocking your supply.

While the general rule of thumb is to drink before you are thirsty, remember that your water needs are unique and depend upon your environment, food intake, activity level and medical conditions.

Here are a few tips to keep you hydrated:

• Carry around a 1-liter reusable water bottle with you when you’re on the go.
• Drink sparkling mineral water instead of soda.
• Flavor your water with fresh herbs and produce, e.g., mint, basil, lime or lemon.
• Make a goal for how much water you will drink each day and stick to it.

As a reminder, you need to record at least 200,000 steps on your own before the challenge ends June 25 to complete the challenge!