With the summer months upon us, we might find the urge to become that little bit more active.  Our motivation for this increase in activity can vary from a simple desire to make the most of being outside and enjoying the sunshine, to the yearly countdown for our summer holidays.

As the temperatures outside increase however so do the dangers and risks of dehydration.

When exercising outside in the warmer summer months, it is important to understand the dangers and increased risk of dehydration. As you become more active your body temperature will start to increase, as the temperature increases the body tries to regulate its temperature of around 37 degrees by sweating.

If this loss of water and salt isn't controlled effectively by regular hydration, it can detrimentally affect the function of the kidneys, heart and brain and lead to dehydration and heat stroke.

The best way of checking that you are drinking enough is to monitor the colour of your urine. If you are well hydrated and drinking enough water, your urine will be a very pale yellow colour.

The darker the yellow colour of your urine, the more dehydrated you are and you need to drink more water.  In some severe cases of dehydration, urine can be quite brown.

Another easy way of monitoring your hydration level is by simply checking your mouth and lips.  If you are thirsty and have a dry mouth and lips then you are probably dehydrated and in need of a drink.

A more accurate way of monitoring your hydration level is by weighing yourself before and after any activity. For every kilogram lost, you have lost a litre of fluid and need to drink 1.5 litres to prevent dehydration.