4 Pro Tips to Level up Your Hydration—for Good

Let’s face it: Most of us are not so great at this whole hydration thing. The stats say that 3 in 4 Americans are chronically dehydrated (yikes!). We know we should drink water, and lots of it, but we get stuck on the how and why—making our attempts to hydrate more of a passion project than a lasting habit. 

The reality is, we can’t function at our best if we’re dehydrated. Staying on top of your hydration game translates to an impressive list of benefits, including clearer skin, higher energy levels, and less brain fog. Good hydration also supports immune function, healthy weight maintenance, digestion, cognitive function, and mood. What’s more, new research shows drinking enough water significantly lowers your risk of developing chronic diseases and premature death.

Dehydration, on the other hand, is a serious foe. When your body isn’t getting the water it needs, all those positives flip into negatives. Quenching your thirst is especially important on workout days because fitness and hydration are the ultimate power couple. From recovery to performance, hydration is the key to supporting blood flow, endurance, cardio output, and keeping your body in balance. 

To help you prevent dehydration and level up your skills, we turned to hydration expert Vishal Patel, Director of Product Development at Nuun Hydration (with a background in nutritional sciences and chemistry), for all the best H2O tips.

1. Shift to proactive hydration

Don’t just reach for your water bottle post-workout—start hydrating from the moment you wake up. “If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated,” says Vishal. That’s why it’s so important to focus on proactive hydration (taking in fluids + electrolytes throughout the day) instead of reactive hydration (waiting until you’re sweaty, dehydrated, or some mix of the two to take a swig).

It’s something you should incorporate into every day, but even more so on days you know you want to get a good workout. “Even 2% dehydration can lead to decreases in physical performance,” explains Vishal. “When you start proactive hydration, you go into the workout in a state where the body is primed to perform. That alleviates performance declines that may come with exercise-induced dehydration.” Essentially, you’ll get way more bang for your buck. 

A good tip: Monitor your urine color to determine how hydrated you are. Pale yellow is the goal—anything darker could be a sign of dehydration. Once it becomes transparent, you may be over-hydrating, Vishal explains. 

2. Electrolytes are your secret weapon

Water is just part of the hydration equation. The often overlooked counterpart? Electrolytes (aka essential, electrically-charged minerals). Especially on exercise days, it’s crucial to focus on electrolyte intake in addition to fluid volume because you lose plenty of electrolytes through sweat.

The easiest way to get them back in your body? Pop in a Nuun Sport tablet before or after your workout to replenish stores and support the muscle plus nerve functions that are put to work during exercise. 

Every tablet includes five essential electrolytes: sodium (helps your body retain water), chloride (maintains electrolyte and fluid balance), potassium (prevents muscle cramping), magnesium (supports muscle function and recovery), and calcium (supports metabolism, muscle, plus bone health). Not to mention, electrolytes help your body absorb and utilize the water you drink even more efficiently.

3. Remember: Hydration isn’t just for athletes

It’s a huge misconception that you only need to go all in on hydration if you’re an Olympic-caliber athlete (and FYI, Vishal has personalized hydration strategies for plenty of those). You don’t have to be training for a marathon or part of a pro sports team to take hydration seriously. 

“Being well hydrated is the most literal source of energy in the body,” says Vishal. “It is truly the easiest thing we can all do to improve health. You should always aim to consume 2.5-3 liters of fluids (primarily water) per day, regardless if you’re exercising or not.” 

Vishal’s guidance for the days you do obé? Sip 2-4 ounces (a few big gulps) every 7-10 minutes if you’re doing high-intensity cardio like running or cycling, and every 10-15 minutes if you’re taking a lower-intensity class like Pilates, Yoga, or Strength.

4. Try Nuun! 

Full disclosure, obé Studios is always well-stocked with Nuun tablets because our instructors are super fans. You can Nuun before your workout to get ahead of dehydration, during to sustain your hydration level, or after to replace all that was lost through sweat. Case in point: Alex S.’s Express Yoga Sculpt—which is a must if you’re looking for a quick movement and hydration break.

Another big positive? They only contain 1 gram of sugar (whereas some sports drinks contain 20+ grams per serving). Plus, Nuun Sport Hydration tablets are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, certified non-GMO, and come in tons of flavors ranging from Strawberry Lemonade to Lemon Lime or Tropical. (Because let’s face it, sometimes you need a little flavor to get excited about drinking up.)

And the best part: As a limited-time* member perk, you can get 30% off all Nuun Hydration products to support hydration for exercise, rest, wellness, and energy. (Think: tablets, hydration packets, and more to pair with your obé classes.)

“Limit one use per customer. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts. Offer valid through December 31, 2023 at 11:59pm, only at nuunlfe.com”

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