The Importance Of Hydration Before, During & After Exercise

We all know that exercising is crucial for our physical and mental well being and now more than ever we would recommend taking the time to get out in the fresh air and take good care of our bodies after a challenging year. It is also equally important to understand that you should maintain a good level of hydration before, during & after exercise. In this article we will be discussing the importance of staying hydrated during exercise and tips and tricks on how you can do it easily.

The Importance Of Staying Hydrated Before Exercise

Water regulates your body temperature and lubricates your joints as well as transporting nutrients to give your body energy and keep you healthy. If you’re not properly hydrated, your body will not perform at its highest level. So, how much do you need to drink to be properly hydrated before exercise? There are several factors to consider, including heat, humidity, sweat rate and length of time of activity you will be participating in. Ideally, you should be drinking around 500ml of water up to 2 hours before you exercise to be well hydrated.

The Importance Of Staying Hydrated During Exercise

Staying hydrated improves blood flow and circulation and therefore the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles. Did you know that if your body is not sufficiently hydrated it can immensely impact your body and therefore your physical performance? For example, you could suffer from:

● Headaches

● Fatigue

● Mood changes

● Slow reaction times

● Dry nasal passages

● Dry or cracked lips

● Dark coloured urine

● Muscle cramps

● Weakness

● Confusion

● Hallucinations

To combat the above from happening to you, we would recommend drinking plenty, regularly. Water is the best drink to satisfy thirst and replace fluid lost during exercise and it is recommended to drink before, during and after exercise so that your body is well hydrated before you begin any activities. Water also boasts a huge list of benefits: it’s natural, free, readily available, contains no kilojoules, and contains fluoride, which is good for your teeth.

How Much Should You Drink After Exercising?

To adequately rehydrate after your exercise session, aim to drink one and a half times the amount you drank during your sessions because you continue to lose fluid through sweating and urination for some time after you have finished exercising. Your water consumption after your exercise should be spread out following 2 - 6 hours after your exercise.=

Tips & Tricks On How You Can Stay Hydrated

● Get a reusable water bottle that you love. At Red Original we have a collection of stainless steel water bottles and insulated travel cups available that you will always be excited to drink from - therefore ensuring that you are consuming enough water when you are exercising.

● Drink whilst you are on a break from exercising. A great way to consume water whilst you are exercising is to take sips of it in between sets, or if you are on a slight break. Sipping water little and often is a great way to consume water without having to guzzle it all at the end.

● Get a reusable water bottle that will keep your drink lovely and cold. Lukewarm water is not very nice at the best of times, let alone after exercising. Therefore we would highly recommend purchasing a water bottle that will make you want to drink out of it because it is at the perfect temperature for you. Our Red Original Stainless Steel Water Bottle (now also available in black) keeps your cool liquids cold for an incredible 24 hours and warm liquids hot for 12!

● Set an alarm. If you acknowledge the fact that you are poor at consuming enough water, you’ll need to work on making a habit of drinking more often. We highly recommend setting an alarm throughout the day so that you can set time aside to drink. Over a short period of time, this will become a healthy habit for you to maintain.

● Get a large capacity water bottle. When you are exercising, you’ll need to consume plenty of water and if you are exercising outdoors, you may not have the luxury of being able to refill your water bottle. This is why, we’d advise you to have a large capacity water bottle on hand, such as our reusable 750ml water bottle. 750ml is equal to 3 whole cups of water