Are you hydrated?

Why Hydration (and Electrolytes) Matter More Than You Think

Not many people know what yoga therapy is, and there are only 6 registered yoga therapists in New

We all know we should drink more water, yet so many of us still struggle to stay properly hydrated. What's often overlooked though, is that hydration isn't just about drinking plain water; it's also about maintaining the right balance of electrolytes that help our bodies actually use that water effectively. Let's break down why this matters, and how understanding the difference between intracellular and extracellular water can help you hydrate smarter.

Understanding Your Body's Water Compartments

Your body is about 60% water, but that water isn't just sloshing around aimlessly - it's carefully divided into two main spaces:

Intracellular water (inside your cells)

Extracellular water (outside your cells - in blood, lymph, and spaces between cells)

About two thirds of your total body water is intracellular. This water keeps your cells plump, supports enzyme activity, and helps carry nutrients and waste in and out of the cell.

The remaining one third is extracellular, which includes your blood plasma and interstitial fluid (the fluid between cells). This water is critical for blood pressure, nutrient transport, and waste removal.

Keeping the right fluid balance between these compartments is vital. Too much or too little water in either can cause problems - from dehydration and fatigue, to swelling or even electrolyte imbalances that affect your heart and muscles.

So, What Do Electrolytes Have To Do With This?

Electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride are minerals that carry an electric charge. They control how and where water moves in your body.

Here's how:

• Sodium is the main regulator of extracellular fluid - it helps keep the right amount of water in your blood and spaces between cells

• Potassium is the key player inside your cells - it helps keep intracellular fluid levels healthy

• Magnesium and calcium help with nerve signalling and muscle contractions, which can be disrupted if you're dehydrated

If you drink a lot of plain water but don't replenish electrolytes, especially after heavy sweating, intense exercise, or illness, you can dilute your sodium and other electrolytes, leading to problems like headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, or even dangerous conditions like hyponatremia (low blood sodium).

How Stress Affects Your Electrolyte Needs

Another factor that many people overlook is stress - whether physical (like hard workouts) or mental (like tight deadlines or emotional strain). When you're stressed, your body produces more cortisol and adrenaline, which can increase fluid loss and shift how your kidneys manage sodium and other minerals. Chronic stress can lead to increased magnesium depletion, higher sodium loss through urine, and even changes in potassium balance. This is one reason why people under prolonged stress often feel fatigued, get muscle tension, or have trouble sleeping - low magnesium and electrolyte imbalance play a role.

Tip: If you know you're going through a stressful period, pay extra attention to nourishing meals with plenty of magnesium-rich foods (nuts, seeds, leafy greens, dark chocolate), keep up your hydration, and consider extra daily electrolyte support to help your body cope.

A Special Note For Peri-Menopausal Women

If you're peri-menopausal, paying attention to hydration and electrolytes is especially important. Fluctuating hormones can affect your body's fluid balance, often leading to more night sweats, hot flashes, and increased water loss. Many women also notice more bloating and swelling at times.

Tip: Focus on steady hydration throughout the day and as mentioned above, include plenty of electrolyte-rich foods like leafy greens, bananas, avocados, nuts, and seeds. A gentle electrolyte drink (low in added sugar) can help replenish minerals lost not only through exercise (and stress as mentioned previously) but also through night sweats or hot flashes. Additional electrolytes will also support better sleep and muscle relaxation.

How To Hydrate Smarter

1. Don't just chase litres - think balance

   Drink water consistently throughout the day, but remember that food (especially fruits and vegetables) also provides fluids and electrolytes.

   
   

2. Replace what you lose

   If you sweat heavily, exercise intensely, work outdoors in heat, or experience frequent hot flashes and night sweats, you need more than just water - replenish electrolytes too. This can be with an electrolyte drink, a homemade mix (water, a pinch of salt, and a splash of juice), or naturally through balanced meals and snacks.

   
   

3. Pay attention to your body

   Thirst is a good indicator, but also watch for signs of dehydration or imbalance: dry mouth, dark urine, dizziness, fatigue, or muscle cramps.

   
   
   
   

The Bottom Line

Hydration is more than just drinking water. It's about making sure your body has the right fluids and electrolytes that help your cells, blood, and organs work in harmony. By understanding how intracellular and extracellular water function - and the role electrolytes (and stress!) play in balancing them - you can keep your energy up, your brain sharp, and your body performing at its best.

For peri-menopausal women and anyone dealing with chronic stress, staying on top of this balance is a simple but powerful way to support your health and resilience.

So next time you grab your water bottle, consider pairing it with some electrolyte support - your cells (and your hormones) will thank you!

Stay hydrated, stay balanced, stay healthy ✨

Zealand so it’s not too surprising if you’ve never heard of this approach to body-mind health. It’s also

tricky to explain the breadth of it in a few short words as the scope of practice and treatment

options are extensive.

What’s important for most people is that it doesn’t have to include yoga postures!

What

Movement practice is just one option that can help you on your path to optimal health. Other

options include postural assessment and guidance, rehabilitation and recovery, strength and

stability, breath work, anxiety, stress, trauma and mental health support, strategies to manage long

term health conditions, manual lymphatic drainage, Ayurvedic treatments, and various other

bodywork options.

Yoga therapy is about finding ease –

in whatever you want to do, and however you want to be

Why

The origins and foundations of this therapeutic approach come from the traditions of Yoga and

Ayurveda (Indian health system) as a way of observing and assessing each individual person to guide

wellbeing activities and lifestyle choices. This wisdom is supplemented with contemporary

knowledge, skills and interventions from Western medicine and health care to provide a pathway to

optimal health that is interesting, manageable and relevant to you.

Whilst Western medicine sees health as the absence of disease, Yoga and Ayurveda focus on optimal

health, and there’s no one who knows what that feels like in your body mind than you! There’s no

one who knows when something just isn’t right, doesn’t feel good, or could be better more than

you. Yoga therapy places you as the expert in knowing what doesn’t feel easeful in your body – using

this awareness as the foundation for assessment, interventions and goal setting.

Whilst you might not know what sensations of dis-ease mean -

you know when they are there, and how they make you feel

Yoga therapy deciphers the puzzle to determine the root cause(s) of dis-ease and find a way to

better health that works for you.