This is a post I shared in one of my online exercise support groups - straight talk from me, your friendly neighbourhood instructor/trainer/coach:).
It’s Thursday y’all! Friday’s attractive older sibling 😂!
For some people today IS their Friday; for others it’s just one more day before Friday and if you can make through Thursday then you’re one step closer to the weekend!
You know what else is great about Thursday?
Trendy hashtags like #throwbackthursday, #thursdaythoughts and #thankfulthursday.
But the best, most greatest Thursday hashtag in world is ..... #thirstythursday!!!!!
Let’s talk about hydration💦.
Obviously everyone needs to be hydrated but did you know hydration needs are highly individualized based on variations in sweat rates between people, or even for the same person exercising in different conditions?
I found this out many years ago when a coach told me I needed to drink the same amount of water as a person larger than me because I sweat so much!
I was like, “Dude, I’m going to drown if I drink that much”; he responded with some science that made it clearer.
Suffice it to say I’m good now, no water wings required to get my daily hydration needs in😜.
Sweat rate is influenced by a number of factors including:
Body size – larger body sizes tend to sweat more
Yeah, when I was 20lbs heavier, I definitely felt the difference to now.
Fitness level – fitter prople generally start to sweat earlier
Feel confident to call myself “fitter” so I’m going to concur with this statement and continue to tell my fitness classes to stay out of my “splash zone”😅!
Genetics – some people naturally sweat more than others
Facts. My whole family is a family of “sweat-ers”. We’re hot. ‘Nuff said😉.
Temperature – hot and humid conditions increase sweat rates
Welcome to London, ON🌎! Humidity is our middle name. Forget about hydration, I can’t even with this temperature and my hair, amirite??
Exercise intensity – as intensity increases, so does sweat rate.
Cardio Junkie in the house so that’s a big ME for this one🙋.
So, while there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to replacing fluid losses from sweat, being aware of your own hydration needs before, during and after exercise is important.
Here comes the planning again ... if you haven’t figured it out yet, Michelle LOVES planning😅!
Again reminder tricks and tips to hydrate mean nothing if you don’t have the actual fluids set and ready to go.
Here’s a quick summary of tips for optimizing your hydration plan:
* Aim for pale yellow urine over the day – it’s a good sign that you’re appropriately hydrated
* Avoid high levels of dehydration – this can impair performance and increase risk of heat illness
* The best drink choice is different for different sessions – consider the duration and intensity of the session, the need to replace carbohydrate and/or electrolytes and individual preferences
* Individualize your hydration plan and the timing of drinks during exercise – this will depend on your sweat rate, environmental conditions and practicality
* More is not better – there is no performance benefit to being over-hydrated and it will increase your risk of negative side effects
For a tailored approach to your individual circumstances, always seek the advice of a professional (ie.doctor, registered dietician or nutritionist).
I could tell you to drink orange juice because it’s healthy but if you are on medications that react adversely to citrus or you have an intolerance, that’s not going to help you out much.
Ok so your homework 📚 for this #thirstythursday is the following:
💧Take your calendar and write down a drink you can/will/should have beside EVERYTHING!!
That’s it.
📨Send it to me at livewellwithmichelle.org@gmail.com.
My plan is below.
Check out my both my personal and Live Well with Michelle pages, put “thirsty” or “Thursday” in the Search Bar and you will find tons of posts I’ve done on my personal quest for hydration. It’s been a journey for real😅.
Happy Thursday and Stay Thirsty My Friends😉👍🏾!
Michelle’s Hydration Plan
Morning
💧Green Tea - take to work
💧Shot of Kombucha with vitamins - at home
💧Shake/Smoothie - take to work
💧700ml water with citrus oil (various) - on desk at work
Weekends I tend to drink juice in the morning but always a tea
Reminder App on phone to remind me to drink, Fitbit reminder to get up from my desk, usually drink then too
Mid-Day
Water if teaching lunchtime class, will save Shake for after class (hungry) too, water or a different drink with meal (kombucha, ginger ale heavy ice)
Evening
I teach/train most evenings over the typical “dinner hour” or I’m in transit so obvious water intake but depending on the day, the workout, I’ll have a preworkout or carb drink like Gatorade.
Other
If long training day/conference/workshop/event I’ll have another green tea as well.
If I don’t drink enough, I can get muscle cramps (mild at the time, worse next day if I didn’t drink enough) so I prep by having all drinks stocked and easily accessible.
There’s a hydration station in my kitchen and I set one up at my desk at work.
I’ve got bottles in my car at all time; my favourite bottle is the Contigo brand. Use them for hot and cold beverages. Keeps liquids hot/cold for 8+hours. Amazing. Got my first set at Costco and now I buy them off of Amazon ... well because I love shopping but Costco is ... well Costco LOL. So busy, crowded and well I can buy the same bottles at home online in my pajamas so yeah, that's really all that needs to be said haha.
I’m the worst for that when teaching classes. Adrenaline just takes over and I forget to drink.
Insert face palm here.
Remember, I told you it's a journey lol.
Interested in a fitness/wellness consultation or have some questions about nutrition and your current fitness program? Join any of my groups online (Facebook) and/or pick up my book, How to be Fit for Life - Eight Proven Steps to Reaching Your Fitness Goals, Getting Results, and Living the Fitness Life for more help with your fitness journey. And please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have:).
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