With summer coming quickly to Arizona, it’s important to stay hydrated, especially during your workouts! Whether you’re doing a morning run or hike, sweating during your workout at the gym or at home, or just spending time in the sun – don’t dehydrate – stay hydrated! Here’s some ways to prevent dehydration this summer!
Drink!
With all the choice out there, from pricy sports drinks and protein shakes, the most effective liquid for preventing dehydration is good old water! Try to sip 7-10 ounces of water every 10-20 minutes during exercise to stay properly hydrated. And, if your workouts are extra intense, or are going to last over an hour, then you might want to also add a sports drink or electrolyte-enhanced drink. But, don’t over-hydrate, which can happen if you drink more fluid than you loose over an extended period of time, as that can actually dilute the sodium content in your blood.
Try adding sports drinks or coconut water to your workouts
When you sweat, you loose electrolytes, which are minerals in your blood that help regulate the amount of water in your body. Extra sweating in our summer heat means you need to replenish those electrolytes during exercise. Drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade are a great way to replenish those missing electrolytes – but if you’d like a more natural alternative, try coconut water!
Check your weight
Weigh yourself before your workout – then after your workout as well. For each pound of weight you loose during your workout, drink 16 oz. of fluid – and if you’ve lost more than 3% of your weight, you may be experiencing significant dehydration, which can result in muscle cramps, fatigue, and dizziness. Keeping a water bottle with you when you workout can help you avoid dehydration.
Check the toilet.
If you’re taking a mid-set break to hit the loo, check on the color of your urine to make sure you’re staying hydrated. When properly hydrated, urine should be pale yellow in color. Though it may be tricky to keep an eye on it, try to watch the urine stream, since the color of urine will dilute when it hits the toilet water, as dark yellow urine may indicate dehydration.
Stop if you feel dizzy!
Feeling lightheaded during a workout is a sign of dehydration – when there’s not enough water in blood, both blood volume and blood pressure drop resulting in dizziness. So, if you feel dizzy – stop and hydrate! And don’t start up again with your workout until the dizziness has passed.
