The hot and humid weather has drifted in rapidly so it’s time to give you some tips on how to properly hydrate yourself before and after your workout.
When you feel dehydrated during your training session, taking in water is the correct course of action but is only a short-term mental solution. “Great, I’ve had some water, I must be hydrated.” That isn’t the case and your body will only really benefit from this later. Consider a high-level professional boxer who can throw 960-1,000 punches in a fight yet they take only 1-2 sips of water in between rounds… when you add in the constant footwork and damage they take, it doesn’t quite measure up.
When you feel dehydrated during your training session, taking in water is the correct course of action but is only a short-term mental solution. “Great, I’ve had some water, I must be hydrated.” That isn’t the case and your body will only really benefit from this later. Consider a high-level professional boxer who can throw 960-1,000 punches in a fight yet they take only 1-2 sips of water in between rounds… when you add in the constant footwork and damage they take, it doesn’t quite measure up.
What you should do is hydrate yourself around 60 minutes before your workout. This will give your body time to process and hydrate properly. Conversely, you don’t want to drink lots of water within 30 minutes of your workout as you’re likely to get a stitch during the session, so timing is crucial.
Post-workout, and throughout the day keep drinking. On average, men should be consuming 3 litres (13 cups) per day and women should be consuming 2.2 litres (9 cups). If you’re working out this should be considerably more. People sweat differently and hydration levels differ it is very hard to specify how much this should be, chances are if you’re thirsty you are already heading towards dehydration. Check your urine colour - if it’s light coloured this probably means you’re hydrated but if it’s dark then you should be drinking more water. You can also check your weight before and after a workout. If you gain considerable weight you are probably over-hydrated and if you lose considerable weight then you are probably dehydrated.
And when you're out and about in patio season, partying with friends remember to order a water to accompany that "other" beverage.
See you at the studio!
Kevin & Victoria
Post-workout, and throughout the day keep drinking. On average, men should be consuming 3 litres (13 cups) per day and women should be consuming 2.2 litres (9 cups). If you’re working out this should be considerably more. People sweat differently and hydration levels differ it is very hard to specify how much this should be, chances are if you’re thirsty you are already heading towards dehydration. Check your urine colour - if it’s light coloured this probably means you’re hydrated but if it’s dark then you should be drinking more water. You can also check your weight before and after a workout. If you gain considerable weight you are probably over-hydrated and if you lose considerable weight then you are probably dehydrated.
And when you're out and about in patio season, partying with friends remember to order a water to accompany that "other" beverage.
See you at the studio!
Kevin & Victoria
