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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
June 12, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

The Importance of Hydration in Warm Weather

Hydration is key to living healthy and it is especially important in the warmer weather. Our bodies are 60% water and we need to hydrate every day to replace water that we lose naturally through sweating, breathing and every time we go to the bathroom. It’s easy to go through a hectic day without realizing how long we go without a drink of water. We may not even notice how thirsty we are until we are already dehydrated. If you have a dry mouth, headache or feel tired – take the time to have a glass of water.

 

Proper hydration is so important during this time of the year. Daily tasks such as getting groceries, going for a walk or commuting to work can take a lot of out you in the spring and summer months. Even just sitting in the sun at the beach or in your back yard can cause your body to need more fluids. Pay attention to your body and drink water often – by the time you feel thirsty you are already in need of fluid. Make it a point to keep water on hand and make sure you have access to drinking water during the day, whether that means keeping a refillable water bottle with you or buying bottled water throughout the day or refilling your glass at work or at home from the sink or water cooler.

 

Staying hydrated during exercise is crucial, so make sure you are drinking water before, during and after a workout, especially in the warm weather. Drink a glass or a bottle of water 15 minutes before you exercise, make sure to drink as much as you need during your workout, and always rehydrate after. Being dehydrated during exercise can cause your performance to decrease and can even put strain on your heart – keeping the body hydrated helps the heart pump blood more easily through the blood vessels to the muscles and helps your muscles work efficiently. It also helps you regulate your body temperature in the heat and cool down after activity.

 

Though we may want to reach for juice, sports drinks or soda in the summer heat or during exercise, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Juices and sports drinks may offer vitamins and electrolytes, but they also come with sugar and carbs. If you’re looking for something flavored and refreshing, try adding fruit or vegetables to your water for a tasty way to stay hydrated.

 

It may take some extra thought and care, but keeping yourself hydrated in the next few months is extremely important. It can help with your weight loss by decreasing your hunger before meals on top of being essential to a healthy lifestyle. Drink up!

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
December 4, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Don’t Let Exercise Drop in the Cold Weather

Your commitment may be strong right now but it can be hard to find motivation in the cold weather to get active. Leaving the house can feel like a battle and at the end of the day all you want to do is get inside and curl up on the couch. There seems like no right time to fit in a workout or go to the gym, and any time you spend outside you want to keep to a minimum. But hibernating in the winter will just make you feel even more sluggish and lethargic, and when spring comes around you will have to start all over again. Don’t let this time go to waste. There are a variety of ways to stay active inside and outside this fall and winter that can crush any excuse.

 

Think it’s too cold to exercise? According to expert doctors in a paper published in 2006, it is never too cold outside as long as you dress properly and keep moving. As long as you keep moving, you are producing heat. As for your workout attire, be sure to cover all parts of your body from your ears to the tips of your fingers to avoid frostbite, but don’t overdress. This can cause you to overheat and sweat more, which in the end can make you colder. Another myth is that the cold air can damage your lungs or cause asthma symptoms. This is also not true – by the time the air reaches your lungs it is at body temperature. The air may cause irritation, but it is because of the dryness, not the cold. This is related to another important tip: don’t forget to hydrate. You may not want to drink water because you are cold, but the dry environment just means you need it more. So if you like to walk or run, keep it up! And when the snow falls, stay safe but enjoy the opportunity. Build a snowman with your family or try something new like cross country skiing or snowshoeing.

 

And even if you aren’t able to get outside, you can still stay fit. There are so many indoor workouts that you can do from the comforts of your home with little to no equipment. Working out at home is convenient, comfortable, available around the clock and you don’t need a membership. We have a list of easy workouts here: https://innovationweightlossandfitness.com/portfolio/4230/ or you can find a wide variety on our Pinterest page: http://www.pinterest.com/innovationny/.

 

You can search specifically for a workout that fits any criteria: stretches to help you sleep, workouts to tone your inner thighs, ways to strengthen your ankles and avoid injury, different levels of plank poses, office workouts, pool workouts, winter workouts and much more. You can also find workouts that involve objects in your home such as a chair, couch or bed. If you choose to invest in an exercise machine or workout equipment, or already own something, you can find great workout routines to give your exercise direction and a goal.

 

So when you’re looking to warm up this winter, head to the gym, the outdoors or turn to your at home workout, not the couch.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
November 10, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Staying Hydrated in Cold Weather

Now that fall is in full swing there may be things about your daily life and routine have changed since the warmer weather, but one thing that should always stay the same is drinking water consistently throughout the day. In the summertime it is easy to tell when you’re getting dehydrated, and nothing cools you down like a tall glass of ice water. But in the fall and winter months we are less inclined to drink water. It may feel like the last thing you want is something cold to drink, but the effects of dehydration can really take a toll in the colder months. In colder temperatures, your body will focus more on maintaining its core temperature and less on fluid balance. You body won’t alert you when it needs water as often as it should, so you have to take the initiative and stay hydrated.

 

Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluid than you take in, and our bodies are constantly losing water from perspiration, exercise and even breathing. Dehydration has a lot of negative side effects, such as thirst and dry mouth, but can also include sleepiness or tiredness, headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness, and dry skin. In this case, dry skin refers to dehydrated skin. The difference is that dry skin lacks oil and dehydrated skin lacks moisture. Dehydrated skin is especially likely because of the cold weather and can be characterized by irritation, inflammation, itchiness and sensitivity; a feeling of tightness or tautness; a look or feel of roughness; slight to severe flaking or scaling; and fine lines, severe redness and cracks. To keep these symptoms at bay, always keep bottled water or your own reusable water bottle on hand.

 

Not all bottle water is created equal. Pay attention to the thickness of the bottle and where it comes from when choosing a bottle water brand. You may have noticed that some bottled water packaging is getting thinner. This thinner, lower grade plastic may be better for the environment but it’s not better for your body. Some bottles are at risk of leaching, meaning that chemicals in the plastic can affect the water after a certain amount of time. This is a big reason why you shouldn’t reuse disposable water bottles. Many brands display where their water comes from on the packaging, but for others you might have to do some research. If a brand says “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system” that means it was derived from tap water. If it is difficult to find information about a bottled water brand then you probably shouldn’t be drinking it. Find a brand with a known protected source and one that makes testing and treatment information that shows high water quality readily available. Our top pick is Smart Water. It fits all this criteria, and it also has the added benefits of electrolytes. Electrolytes, or ionized minerals, are important because they are what the cells in your body use to carry electrical impulses, like nerve impulses and muscles contractions, across themselves and other cells. This means they help your body run at optimal levels, and an electrolyte deficiency can cause cramping. That is why hydration and electrolytes are so important during and after a workout, especially in the winter months. Smart Water contains the electrolytes calcium, magnesium and potassium without any sugar, calories, fluoride or sodium.

 

If you would rather go with a reusable water bottle, there are a couple things to consider. They can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic, stainless steel, aluminum and glass. They each have their pros and cons. For example, plastic is durable, light and inexpensive, but can have a plastic taste and chemical leaching is a possibility. To avoid this, get a bottle that is BPA free. Fill it with filtered water, clean it often and dispose of it when it is no longer usable.

 

It is important to remember all this when performing seemingly simple activities like raking leaves, shoveling snow or holiday shopping on a hectic day because they will quickly dehydrate you. Get in the habit now and ensure you have a healthy winter!

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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