We may ignore our hunger pangs, but we can’t let our body’s call for hydration be passed by. Since our body is roughly made up of 60% water, when we dip below this critical level our brain sends signals to our senses to let us know we need extra water to get us through the day.
During winter, our sweat evaporates more quickly than it does in summer. Though our body’s thirst is 40% less during the cold season, we must not get fooled into thinking that we need to drink less.
To prevent your body from dehydration, here are five steps to get you winter ready for activities:
- Do the dehydration pinch test. The easiest way to decipher whether you’re dehydrated or not is to do this test. How? Easy! All you have to do is to lightly pinch some skin on the back of your hand and pull it about one centimetre before letting go. If you’re not dehydrated, the skin will go back to the original form almost immediately. But if you are dehydrated, it may take some time for it to settle back down.
- Stick to the eight glasses a day as a general guideline. In spite of the cold temperature and the drop in the body’s thirst response, we need the same amount of liquid as we do in summer to keep us going.
- Always keep a bottle with you. Wherever you go, see to it that you have an extra bottle of water with you so that in whatever activity you might engage in, you stay hydrated!!
- Match your water intake to the duration of your activity. Though outdoor activities are less enticing during winter and some areas of the country may even be covered with snow, there are a lot of activities that the winter season has to offer. Having said that, you have to keep an eye on your activities and adjust the amount of water you’re drinking to keep you moving!
- Track your drinking schedule. Monitor your drinking habits through different apps such as Daily Water Free or Carbodroid. You can also set alarms for each interval you make to stay on track!
Now that you’ve got these five tricks, are you ready to put your winter-game-face on?
Sources:
https://www.dripdrop.com/blog/hydration-tips/winter-hydration-can-you-get-dehydrated-in-cold-weather
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water#3
https://www.self.com/story/how-to-drink-more-water
https://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/8-tips-for-hydrating-in-cold-weather
