Whether you are opening a personal training studio or have an online training business, clients often need to be reminded to stay hydrated during training. Many individuals feel they need to wait until they are thirsty to drink fluids. Health coaching certification programs teach us that if we wait until we feel thirsty, we are already dehydrated. Remembering to drink fluids keeps us healthy and supports our training. Staying hydrated is important for healthy circulation, healthy blood pressure, as well as improved muscle function and performance. Health coaching software can help you keep track of your fluid intake. There are also phone apps that you can use to track you dietary and fluid intake. Here are some ways you can stay hydrated while training:
- Set a timer on your sports watch. If you set your timer to specific intervals, like every five or ten minutes, hearing that beep will remind you to take a sip of water. This is a great tool for runners and other athletes are that too busy competing, or training so intensely that they often forget to drink fluids. Using an interval timer as a reminder can help keep you training strong.
- Use fruits as your fuel/snack during training. Fruits, such as watermelon, grapes, and oranges, have a high-water content. Eating fruits that have a high-water content can help make up some of the fluids lost in sweat as well as replenish natural electrolytes. The fructose in fruit can also naturally rise blood glucose levels so that you blood sugar does not get too low while working out.
- Remembering to drink after your workout. Replenishing lost fluids after a workout is important because it helps to speed up recovery time. Muscles are able to repair themselves faster when the body is well hydrated.
- Be creative with your hydration. Hydration doesn’t always have to be a sports drink or water. For a fun twist and a hydrating summertime treat, take your favorite sports drink and pour it into popsicle molds so that you can enjoy a frozen treat after your workout to help you cool off and replace lost electrolytes.
