Hydration 101: Drink to Your Health and Replenish Water During the Heat of Summer

Is the heat making you feel a little cranky? You might not realize you're dehydrated. Even at low levels, dehydration can put a strain on your energy and mood.

It's vital to drink water throughout the day. Make a healthy habit of adjusting your water intake based on your activity - regardless of whether you feel thirsty.

Whether you live in a dry or humid climate, reach for the water bottle periodically. When you exercise in dry heat, your sweat evaporates fast, making water loss go almost unnoticed.

In humid weather, you have physical warning - sweating so much you can almost wring water out of your clothes. In either situation, it's important to replenish the fluids you're losing.

If you need to remind yourself to drink water, go ahead and set a timer while you build a healthy habit. Keep the water bottle within eyesight.

James Herrera, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Physical Health and Wellness director, offers these tips to stay hydrated:

• Drink water before, during, and after outdoor exercise.
• Take sips of water every 30 minutes to an hour.
• Eat hydrating foods. Snack on cantaloupe, tomatoes, or cucumbers.
• Natural electrolytes. Try bananas, watermelon, and avocado. Skip the sugary drinks.
• Drink water when you're in the water. You're still sweating when you're swimming.

For those with military training, discipline works in your favor when it comes to nutrition and hydration. Now you have the freedom to listen to your body. You don't have to wait for direction to take a water break. Pay attention to how your body feels.

Maintaining healthy habits is one of many challenges warriors face when returning to civilian life. Years of regimented physical training and a restricted diet contrast with the variety of choices waiting at home.

Wounded warriors of this generation can take charge of their health by registering with WWP and participating in online classes like Hydration 101, offered through the Physical Health & Wellness program. Learn more about staying hydrated at https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/highlights?item=31009.

About Wounded Warrior Project

Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers - helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more: http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

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SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project

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