When I first got into weight training in my teens and early 20s, I carried a plastic gallon jug of water everywhere I went. People thought I was a weirdo. I peed a lot, but I did feel great.
As I became less and less of a gym rat and realized I needed to somewhat conform to normal human society, I ditched the $2.00 gallon water jug.
As a result, I got less comments from the peanut gallery which was nice.
But what else started happening was that I would forget to drink as much as I needed to throughout the day. I was getting headaches, muscle cramps, and constipation (sorry, but it’s true.) I powered through, nonetheless.
When this became particularly problematic was when I started doing more and more endurance training. I was running 10-12 miles a couple days per week plus a couple of shorter runs throughout the week. All of those negative issues were getting a whole lot worse.
I was getting far more gastrointestinal issues that would sometimes wake me up in the night. Then the headaches and brain fog were destroying my productivity during the day.
Finally, I decided I need to start to reprioritize hydration. I decided to invest in two high quality water jugs that I’ve made a part of my whole wellness routine and package. I went with the 64-ounce Stainless Steel Jug and the 24-ounce HydroSHKR by HydroJug*
I use the 64-ouncer around the house. I try to fill it up and finish it 2x per day.
Then I use the 24-ounce HydroSHKR when I’m going to be out for a long time either hiking, heading to the beach for a surf, or commuting. I usually fill it up with water at home, then toss it in my bag with a to-go protein packet.
In addition to the focus on hydration, I made some other optimizations that included cutting my caffeine intake down to 200 mg total in a day and I wouldn’t consume any after 12 or 1PM. I also increased my salt intake slightly after hard workouts to help balance my electrolytes. And, I’ve doubled down on consuming gut health friendly foods such as sauerkraut and chia seeds to aid with digestion in addition to the water increases.
Once I started doing this, I pretty much instantly started feeling better. Less headaches, less cramps, less constipation. And, I know I’m doing good by the environment by not spending money on all that plastic, too.
I think there’s also something to investing in nice things that support the lifestyle you live. I know hydration is important, so I should have the product or products that support it. In addition to investing in these two HydroJug products, I also believe in starting the day with 1 tall glass of water with a sprinkle of salt every morning as soon as I wake up. Another hack of ours is taking a half a GATORLYTE and mixing it with water.
*Disclosure: HydroJug is a sponsor of this content. We may earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this article. However, we want to assure our readers that we personally use, test, and stand by the products we endorse, and HydroJug is no exception to this commitment.
You might also like
