How to Stay Hydrated on Holiday this Summer

Why You Need to Stay Hydrated on Holiday

If you’re going on holiday this year, here’s why it’s important to stay hydrated.

Hydration is essential for brain function, which in turn is responsible for movement, speech and thought. If you allow your body to become dehydrated, all of these functions can be affected. Without water, you will start to feel lethargic, fatigued and unwell. Not something you’d want on holiday!

Feelings of poor health from dehydration can commonly include headaches. Those feelings of ill health are exacerbated by hot weather, meaning that dehydration can be lethal.

Why does dehydration happen easier in the heat?

As well as dehydration happening more commonly in warmer climates, the effects of dehydration can also happen quicker. The hotter the temperature of your surroundings are, the more water you are likely to lose from your body through sweat or breathing (panting). If you do not replace this water that has left your body, and therefore cells, with more water, dehydration will start to occur.

Unfortunately, dehydration and heat exhaustion often go hand in hand. The loss of water from your cells through dehydration means an imbalance of fluids and electrolytes in the body. Pair this with extensive exposure to the sun or heat and you’ll likely start to suffer from heat exhaustion too.

Usually, the recommended intake for water for adults is 6-8 glasses. However, in hot weather, you should drink more. Try and drink a minimum of 8 glasses, but more if you’re exercising, or feel you’re losing lots of fluids through sweating or urine.

How to stay hydrated in hot weather

This might sound fairly simple, but there are a few things you can do to ensure you don’t overheat or become dehydrated on holiday.

1. Drink enough chilled water at regular intervals throughout the day to ensure you’re properly hydrated. It might be tempting to reach for a fizzy drink seeing as you’re on holiday, but they won’t effectively hydrate you. If you feel particularly hot and sweaty, drink a sports drink with added electrolytes to replace those lost through sweat.
2. Take regular breaks from the sun and direct sunlight. This means sitting in the shade during peak times of day – even if you’re trying to tan!
3. Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine while you’re in the sun. Both of these are diuretics, which means they will dehydrate you quicker than other beverages. If you do want to enjoy a beer or coffee on holiday, follow it with a glass of water to ensure you stay hydrated.
4. Avoid the sun at peak times of the day. Temperatures peak between 12pm-2pm, so if you don’t want to become dehydrated, it’s best to stay in the shade or inside during these times.