Hydration
When I say hydration, what comes to mind? Usually water, and how MUCH water you are drinking. But hydration can be so much more than this at a cellular level. Your body needs particular minerals for muscle contraction AND relaxation. The main two being potassium and magnesium. And the majority of the population is deficient in one or BOTH of these essential elements. Some signs you might be lacking these? Consistent thirst, muscle cramps, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), fatigue/ low energy, brain fog0 just to name a few! So what do you do to help boost these elements and avoid those nasty muscle cramps?
Taking an electrolyte supplement- something with magnesium and potassium, I personally like Arbonne’s Hydration and LMNT’s electrolyte’s. You just add them to water and sip away. Each of these provide about 1/5th of the daily recommended intake for potassium and magnesium, so its a good way to get an extra boost!
Eating whole foods- some of the big ones for these minerals are bananas, green leafy veg (like spinach and the tops of beets), broccoli, beans/ lentils, potatoes, pumpkin seeds, almonds and cashews, avocado and DARK CHOCOLATE/ cacao (personally, I can always justify eating dark chocolate- yay).
Magnesium/ Epsom salts foot bath- magnesium can be absorbed most efficiently topically (through the skin), and you don’t need to soak a particular part of your body to reap the benefits all around. SO if you don’t have a bathtub (or don’t love baths) you can do a foot soak instead with a ½ c of epsom salts and have a 15-20 min foot soak to reap the benefits.
Of course, getting adequate water is VERY important and also essential. But what is the recommended daily amount? This truly varies on body type, size, activity level, perspiration, and so much more but as a general rule of thumb I like to say aim for at least 2 liters daily (non caffeinated tea, and other “clear” water based liquids can count to this). And if you are struggling to drink water through the day I suggest:
Every time you look at your phone (say to scroll or answer a message) grab a sip of water too
Have a big glass of water immediately upon waking up, and before every meal
Another sneaky thing with hydration, that seems counter intuitive, is making sure you are getting enough SODIUM. Now this can be very tricky, and in the past we have been told that sodium is bad- which the science these days has truly reversed, but of course the culture is slow to catch up. What the research is now saying is that adequate sodium is required for good heart, and general body health. Because sodium is also another element in which your body uses for muscle contraction and various functions (and let's remember your heart is a giant muscle too!). And often if you are someone who eats well, drinks a lot of water, and gets sweaty, sodium can actually be lacking in your diet. So adding good salt, like himalayan salt, to your foods, or even a dash into your water can be beneficial.