5 Ways you’re hydrating wrong

Taking in enough fluids seems simple, right? Just drink more water. That will help, sure, but there are probably a few hydration mistakes you’re making—without realising, you might still be dehydrating yourself unintentionally. As compiled from Women’s Health magazine and Men’s Fitness magazines, fix these 5 slip-ups to make sure you’re getting the H2O your body requires.

Drinking water during your workout, but not before

Even if you sip on something regularly while you’re at the gym, you may be prone to headaches if you haven’t hydrated ahead of time, too. You should aim to drink at least eight ounces of water about half an hour before you exercise, says New York City-based trainer Larysa DiDio, founder of PFX Fitness. Drinking during your run is definitely great, but you might be losing water as you sweat, so it’s essential to hydrate before you head out to the gym or before you indulge in physical activity like gardening.

Read: 6 ways to stay hydrated in the summer

Insisting on eight glasses a day

The Institute of Medicine, NY actually recommends 11.4 cups per day, although hydration needs vary from person to person. The exact amount of water you need is dependent on your size and weight. And since you can also get water from foods like fruits and veggies (an apple, for instance, can provide an entire cup of water), you may not need to gobble as much if you’re eating water-rich meals and snacks. In general, though, if you take your weight and divide it by two, that should give you roughly the number of ounces of water you need in a day, says Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet.

Avoiding drinks like coffee and tea

It’s a commonly held belief that coffee and chai are dehydrating because of their caffeine content but that’s actually a myth, says New York City-based nutritionist Lisa Cashman. “While the caffeine in coffee and tea can be a diuretic, meaning these drinks cause fluid loss—the fluid in them typically makes up for it.” So your daily morning and evening chai habit is still better than sipping on nothing. Keep in mind though, tea and coffee have far less caffeine than fizzy cold drinks, so ditch cola and grab green tea instead.

Hydrating too infrequently

If you feel thirsty, then yes, you should probably drink water. Same goes for when you’re exercising or it’s hot outside. But—contrary to common belief—these aren’t the only times when you need to rehydrate, says Gans. “You also need to hydrate while you’re sitting at your desk at work, not just at the gym,” she says. “I even have a sticky note on my computer that says, ‘Drink water’. Gans suggests sipping consistently throughout the day. If you don’t, you could set yourself up for conditions like kidney stones and chronic dehydration.

Read: Dehydration warning: Heatstroke patients lack sodium, potassium

Confusing the need for water with the need for food

Drink before you eat to make sure your hunger pangs are actually, well, hunger pangs. Many people confuse the need for water with the need for food, says Gans. She recommends eating meals and snacks as you normally would but it’s imperative to get into the habit of drinking plenty of water with them. She also suggests setting a bottle of water on your nightstand. “First thing in the morning, drink it,” says Gans. “If it’s the first thing you see, you can set yourself up with hydration for the rest of the day.” Even if you’re actually famished, make it a habit to drink a glass of water before you eat anything solid. This will reduce your appetite and prevent you from overeating.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th,  2015.