The body consists of 70% water, and if that balance is not maintained you may find yourself becoming dehydrated, which will lead to a whole slew of side-effects, none of which are pleasant and some of which could actually kill you.
It is easy to misjudge the temperature and end up with heatstroke if you have not hydrated sufficiently. This is even more crucial if you are working outdoors in the boiling sun or are exercising and losing water through sweat.
Drink More Water During Hot Weather
Even though you may think that you are used to the heat because you have lived in a hot climate for a long time, this may not necessarily be the truth. Even though you may be acclimatised and not feel the heat, your body still needs to be adequately hydrated in order to cope with the soaring temperatures. In actual fact, when you are acclimatised your body loses more fluids through sweating and other bodily functions because it sweats far quicker.
The following groups are most at risk for dehydration and should therefore drink more water during the summer months:
The Elderly
Older people are far more affected by extreme climate changes and temperatures than younger adults. The elderly should therefore ensure that they drink water or other fluids frequently so as not to become dehydrated.
Children
Children spend most of their time outdoors in the summer, and get hot quicker than adults due to their largersurface area in relation to body mass. Children are generally very active outdoors and drinking water frequently is important for hydration.
Outdoor Workers
Those that work outdoors, such as postal employees, construction crews, landscapers, police officers and the like should be very careful that they do not get dehydrated. Even though much of the day is spent in the heat of the sun and bathroom breaks may be few and far between, it is crucial that you make drinking water part of your daily regimen.
Athletes
Athletes and those who exercise a lot should ensure that they drink enough liquids, preferably water, to make up for all the fluids that they lose through sweating.
Tips for Staying Hydrated in Hot Weather
It is easier to stay hydrate during the long summer months than to have to struggle to rehydrate yourself. One of the reasons for this is that one only generally realises that you are dehydrated when you become really thirsty or start feeling ill, and by that stage you are already severely dehydrated.
It is better to take these steps to remain hydrated:
- Stay hydrated by drinking water frequently throughout the day. How much is enough depends on your own body and lifestyle
- Check your urine – if it is darker than a very pale yellow it means you are dehydrated; the darker the colour the more dehydrated you are
- Keep water handy – if you are not lucky enough to have a bottled water cooler or a mains water cooler at your office and also do not have a home water cooler, keep a bottle of cool, refreshing water at hand and drink from it frequently
- Snackon fresh fruits like watermelon, berries, nectarines and peaches which contain a lot of fluid
Although the old adage of drinking eight glasses of water per day is kind of outdated now, drinking water frequently, especially in hot weather is important to maintain the balance of water in the body so that it can function optimally.
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