Hydration tips for clients

Hydration tips for clients

You might be drinking enough water every day, but can the same be said for your clients?

As a personal trainer, your mission is to help clients reach their fitness goals. Ideally, surpass them. Whether that’s building muscle, boosting flexibility or improving endurance, you want them to have the mindset, motivation and commitment to succeed.  

But there’s another vital part of any fitness regime. Hydration. So simple, yet so often overlooked, are your clients mindful of how much water they drink every day?

H2O: The facts

The facts about water are as clear as the stuff itself.

Our bodies are made up mostly of it – nearly two-thirds for men and just over a half for women. It is essential to how our bodies function, helping remove toxins, keeping joints supple, protecting the brain, moving nutrients around the body, and regulating body temperature.

According to the NHS, we should be drinking between six to eight glasses of fluid a day, depending on body size, age, activity level, climate, and more.

But while we know how much we should be drinking, the question is: how much are we actually drinking? Research suggests not enough. One study shows that 46% of regular gym goers are dehydrated during their workouts. And that’s going to have a significant impact on performance.

Data shows that dehydration during exercise reduces aerobic performance, leading to increased body temperature, heart rate and perceived exertion. And you don’t need to lose that much water before you notice a difference. A decrease of just 2% of your body weight through dehydration can impact performance. While a drop of 5% can see performance decrease by as much as 30%.

But how much is enough? To avoid any negative impact, we should be drinking 200-285ml of water for every ten to 20 minutes of moderate exercise.

What is the best fluid to drink?

For some of your clients, water may be all they need to meet their hydration needs. Good old tap water will replace fluids for low intensity and short duration fitness activity. Plus, it’s natural, free, on tap (literally) and contains no calories.

However, some of your clients will choose to drink sports drinks as a way to refuel during or after exercise. Designed to keep you hydrated and replace electrolytes lost through sweat, sports drinks have become increasingly popular over recent years. With added carbs and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, they can enhance performance in high intensity and long workouts (90 mins or more).

By the same token, there are some drinks your clients should definitely avoid before and after visiting the gym. Squash, fizzy drinks and fruit juice tend to be high in carbs and low in sodium - not a great fitness combo. And, as you’d expect, it’s always best to advise against caffeine and alcohol either side of training sessions.

8 hydration tips for clients

Clearly, you can’t force your clients to stay hydrated. It’s up to them to make sure they are drinking enough fluids every day.

Here are some tips you might want to share:

1. Start and end the day with a glass of water.
2. Choose the right fluids depending on the type and length of exercise.
3. Listen to your body. If you’re thirsty or sweating a lot, it’s a sign you need to drink more.
4. Add time markers to your water bottle to show how much you should drink by a certain time.
5. Remember to drink more in warmer weather.
6. Try to replace at least one cup of tea or coffee a day with a glass of water.
7. Check the colour of your urine. Not sure? Take a look at a urine colour chart for guidance.
8. Reward yourself with a new water bottle for hydration on the go.

Until: A better fitness experience for you and your clients

We have everything you need to create a great fitness experience for your clients here at Until. From the gym equipment to the hydration stations, everything is designed with the needs of you and your clients in mind.

If you think your personal training business could benefit from flexible access to state-of the-art facilities and a supportive community, get in touch today