Personal Trainer NYC | Free Fitness Blogs

One of the most common problems experienced in the gym is dehydration. You may not realize it but the most gentle workout can be dehydrating. Take into account that most of us don’t drink enough water to START WITH. Then add the stress of daily life, and what that takes out of you. Strenuous exercise can cause a lot of problems unless you take measures to make sure you re-hydrate properly.

Exercise Requires Hydration
Whenever we exercise our bodies lose water – our body temperature increases and we start to sweat. This is a perfectly natural thing – if it didn’t happen we’d stand a real risk of overheating. But, if we don’t drink enough fluids before, during and after exercise then our bodies can’t function properly to start with, much less replace the fluids we lose. This can lead to all kinds of dehydration-related problems and illnesses.

Dehydration Slows Down Fitness Results
Dehydration leads to heat illnesses such as cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke and plays a huge role in the results of your fitness program. Meaning, you won’t see the full benefits of the exercise you do if you are attempting to train in a dehydrated state. Did you know that even a slight increase in body temperature slows down your aerobic power and endurance? Meaning, the strength you do have is unavailable to you and you can’t maximize the effects of your exercise program if you can’t perform at optimal levels. Optimal performance means keeping yourself hydrated so your body can function the way it’s supposed to. Why put yourself at a disadvantage?

Signs of Dehydration
You can tell that you are dehydrated if you display symptoms such as a dry mouth, a feeling of faintness and a heavy thirst. You may get a headache and feel like you haven’t got as much energy as usual. You’ll also notice that your urine will get darker and you may find that you need to urinate less often. If dehydration becomes more serious then you could see extensive problems with your kidneys, for example.

Hydration Starts Before Workouts
Staying hydrated during a fitness routine should start BEFORE you start to work out. You should take fluids a couple of hours before you exercise and then again around half an hour before you actually start. It’s also very important to make sure that you take regular drinks breaks (every 15 minutes or so) to replace lost fluids during your workout. If you are taking on a moderate fitness program then around 5-10 ounces of fluid should be enough for each break.

Finish It Off
Don’t forget to drink when you are done exercising. Some athletes actually figure out how much they need by weighing themselves before and after a workout. They can then estimate how much to drink by drinking 150% of the weight loss difference over the next few hours. You can work this out on the basis that a liter of fluid equals around two and a quarter pounds.

Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Drinking too much as part of a fitness routine can be harmful as well. There have been a lot of cases among athletes recently of hyponatremia – a condition instigated when you take on so much fluid that your sodium levels become dangerously diluted and low. The symptoms are very similar to those of dehydration – but if treated with water on that basis then they can lead to serious illness and even death.

What To Drink Then?
The standard advice works for the most basic every day living: Get your 8 glasses of water per day. If you’re going to exercise I always recommend that my clients get a 16 oz bottle of Gatorade or Vitamin Water and drink half on the way to the workout, then dilute the rest with water and finish that before the workout is over. Then refill the bottle with water for the walk/drive home and finish it before you get there.

The Personal Trainer Says
As always I expect my clients to entirely eliminate soda from their diet forever. There’s nothing good about it, and drinking ‘things with water in them’ is NOT the same as drinking 8 glasses of plain water a day. If you think you can expect your body to perform and give you what you want, but you refuse to address it’s most pure and simple basic needs like keeping yourself hydrated, you’re sadly, and I mean….sadly mistaken. The body WILL rebel. So prevent mishaps, remain healthy and give your body what it needs to perform at it’s BEST!