6 ways to hydrate better

Every fitness professional out there tells you to drink water, water, and more water. But after a summer boot-camp session on a scorching sunny pier, your hydration stores may be drained into a pool of sweat around your Nikes.

1. Drink chia seeds.Literally. Try it for  breakfast or for an afternoon snack. Chia seeds absorb 9 to 12 times their weight in water, which helps with prolonged hydration. Plus, they're packed with omega-3s for endurance, your heart, and brain.

2. Soup up your water with supplements. You can supplement your water with electrolytes, antioxidants, and vitamins easily—and naturally. Try Vega Sport plant-based powders. The Electrolyte Hydrator is packed with all essential electrolytes and bonus vitamins and antioxidants. Pure Inventions antioxidant drops, which you can squeeze directly into your water glass.

3. Consider enhanced water. Propel Zero is a powder or enhanced bottled water, which is very refreshing. And while Gatorade is generally sugary and artificial, its newer G2 formulations, created for endurance athletes, have more natural-leaning ingredients, few calories, tons of electrolytes, and vitamins. It's to drink only during or after an intense workout.

4. Avoid dehydrating. Coffee, tea, and energy drinks sap your hydration away, since caffeine is a diuretic and will cause your body to release water. Even an air conditioned environment can be dehydrating. Use that as an excuse to take an out-of-office mid-day walk....or a bottle of water.

5. Crack open a coconut. The benefits of coconut water! It's a great source of electrolytes. But just don't chug liters without checking the label (and stick to the freshest source available). Like most bottled drinks, be cautious of the sugar content.

6. Did I mention water?  You know you should drink water, but just in case you're hooked on or tempted by icy sodas or other sugar- or sugar-substitute beverages in the heat... Water should be your first choice when it comes to staying hydrated. You should sip on water every 15-20 minutes throughout the day.