Hydration is vital to our survival. Our bodies require water to survive, it’s used for many bodily tasks including keeping our temperature level, allowing us to perspire when we’re running or jogging as well as removing waste from our bodies. To put it in perspective, you can’t last much longer than a week without water whereas with food you can last over three weeks as Mahatma Gandhi did. When it comes to staying hydrated natural water by far is the best resource for this, other liquids do hydrate you such as glucose drinks however these add sugar and other unneeded calories into your system.
Today we’re going to look at why it is so important to stay hydrated when you’re working out in the gym. When you’re exercising or working out you’ll be losing a lot more water than you would usually through both breathing and sweating. But before you’ve even started to work out you’ll want to make sure you’re hydrated beforehand, this is because if you’re not your temperature will increase a lot quicker and this will also increase the workload on your heart, and both of these means that you won’t be able to work out at your best levels of performance.
So how do you know when you’re dehydrated? Well there are many signs that you could be dehydrated, and these include:
• Decreased amounts of urine (as well as it being more of a yellow colour)
• Dry mouth
• Increased levels of fatigue
• Thirst
• Headache
• Nausea
• Confusion
If you have any of the above symptoms, it’s more than likely you’re dehydrated and your performance will suffer unless you get your water levels topped back up.
Drinks such a sports drinks can be useful if you’re planning on training at a higher level of intensity than usual as not only will it keep you hydrated but it will also contain carbohydrates and electrolytes. The pair of these not only help give your body that much needed energy but also helps your body to absorb water. Some sports drinks, however, are very high in terms of calorie so it’s best to check this before your purchase.
Now that we know the importance of staying hydrated now here are some tips on how to best stay hydrated no matter whether it is in the hot blistering summer or winter. You should get yourself into a routine of always ensuring that you’re hydrated before you start working out and that, at a regular interval, you stop and take a break to keep yourself hydrated. If you follow these steps, you’ll be ensuring that you can work at your highest level of performance.
Hopefully, this blog today has taught you about the importance of staying hydrated signs that you know you’re dehydrated and finally the best ways to stay hydrated. So next time you’re working out, remember to take a bottle of water along with you.