Hydration Checklist

Choosing beverages that fit your activity level and lifestyle is key to proper hydration while staying within the body's energy needs. If you are watching your calories, consider choosing a low- or no- calorie beverage — or a smaller portion size of your favorite regular calorie beverage. Using our Calorie Comparison Chart can help you become aware of the calorie content of beverages you drink.

• Have beverages with every meal and snack.
• Choose beverages that you enjoy. Several studies show that active children consume more liquid when it's flavored vs. plain water. But, keep in mind that all calories count, including those from caloric beverages.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables tend to have a high water content, which makes them a great option for helping you meet your hydration needs.
• Don't exclusively rely on thirst. Sometimes thirst is not a reliable measure of hydration because of medications or other health conditions. Keep a water bottle or beverage at your desk, in your car, in your bag or where ever you will be reminded to drink.
• Keep beverages at a moderate temperature. Fluids served at moderate temperatures - temperatures that are neither hot nor cold - tend to be consumed in greater volumes.
• Follow the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations for fluid intake before, during and after physical activity.
• During prolonged exercise or heat exposure which results in the loss of sodium through perspiration, it is important to consume sodium and other electrolytes, along with fluids, to avoid hyponatremia, a serious condition in which the sodium level in the blood becomes too low.

For information on preventing serious exertional heat illness in children and adolescents, see the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement - Climatic Heat Stress and Exercising Children and Adolescents.