Every so often, I bring up hydration and dehydration here in the fitness blog. It’s important to talk about it, to keep it forefront in your mind and to know what to do or not do with regards to hydration. Summer time is a particularly important time to focus on this issue because we spend so much time outside and in the heat and doing things that will dehydrate us if we’re not careful.
For example, my daughter would stay in the pool all day if I let her, but I also make sure we have plenty of water with us so she can drink all day long, avoiding the sugary sodas with caffeine because despite being in the water, she’s still out in the heat and she can still dehydrate. Remember, most pools contain chlorine which is not necessarily conduscive to hydration.
As I’ve mentioned before, the American Water Works Association offers the following suggestions:
- Drink water before, during and after your exercise.
- Drink water every 20 minutes or so when you are engaged in a strenuous physical activity.
- Do not take salt tablets.
- Stop working out if you feel lightheaded, dizzy or severely fatigued.
Water is a primary component to our day-to-day living as well as our overall health and fitness. Drinking cold, cold water can help burn extra calories. Drinking water instead of soda helps avoid extra calories. Drinking water as part of the regular routine helps to prevent dehydration, headaches and more associated with being dehydrated.
Water’s a precious resource and it’s relatively cheap. So don’t skip your water breaks and drink plenty of it this summer.