How To Stay Hydrated Before, During, and After Exercise 

Introduction

Hydration is an essential part of your health. Drinking enough fluids daily helps your body perform various activities with ease. For instance, you may find it easier to do your exercises when you’re well-hydrated. Additionally, adequate fluid intake aids different functions in your body, like nutrient transportation and digestion.

If you exercise often, you may need to drink more fluids to ensure you stay hydrated. After all, you’ll feel uncomfortable or tired while working out if your body lacks water.

Read on and learn how to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

Six Simple Tips to Help You Stay Hydrated All Day

The importance of hydration should not be overlooked. Unfortunately, most people are chronically dehydrated. If this is you, here are six tips for you…

1. Start Your Day With Water

Your body may lose fluids and electrolytes during rest, so it’s not unusual to feel thirsty after waking up in the morning. Warm temperatures may also make you sweat and require you to drink more to replenish your body’s lost fluids.

So, if you wish to stay hydrated during the day to prepare for a physical activity, it’ll be a great idea to drink a glass of water once you get out of bed. Doing so will refresh your body and quench your thirst. In addition, it’ll prevent you from losing too much fluid once you exercise.

When drinking fluids, stick with plain water or non-diuretic beverages. Coffee or tea may encourage your body to lose fluids through urination. During a workout session, you won’t be hydrated enough to perform intense movements. Instead of taking coffee or tea, drink beverages like alkaline water.

In case you’re wondering, what is alkaline water? It’s water with a higher pH level than plain water. It contains electrolyte minerals your body needs to regulate hydration levels. Moreover, it aids blood flow, which is essential during muscle recovery. Hence, it’s a healthy beverage to drink and prepare your body before exercise.

2. Take Your Time To Drink Water Before Hitting The Gym

Hydrating your body slowly before you work out may be better than drinking a large amount of water in one sitting. This will keep you from forcing yourself to finish a glass of water. In fact, too much water will make you feel bloated, affecting your physical performance. Therefore, you should take things slow and meet your body’s needs.

Observe how you feel throughout the day and drink whenever you feel thirsty, which will help you feel energized when you begin your exercise. You can drink something after a meal too so that your body receives enough fluids.

If you struggle with taking plain water, you can eat foods, like citrus fruits or cucumbers. These foods contain various nutrients and allow your body to stay hydrated.

Also, if you are seeking for optimal hydration, there is an opportunity to explore IV therapy which allows easier intake of water and other essential nutrients, providing efficient hydration. If you are interested click here for more information on IV therapy and wellness.

3. Bring A Bottle Of Water During Your Workout

Physical movements, like running or lifting weights, can exhaust you and make you sweat a lot. You’ll also feel out of breath and thirsty during a session. And if you’re dehydrated, you might feel faint and weak. To avoid this, have a bottle of water with you during your workout.

You can take a few sips after you finish a set in your session. For instance, if you’re performing three deadlift sets, you can take a break in between to replenish your body’s fluids. Other beverages like sports drinks are good alternatives if you need an extra push during your exercise. They contain electrolytes and carbohydrates, which will help maintain your energy level during high-intensity movements. Drinking enough fluids will help your muscles recover faster as well.

4. Take A Few Sips

You may feel the urge to drink a lot of water in the middle of your workout due to exhaustion. Although it’s good to fuel your body with fluids, drinking too much in a hurry may hinder your exercise. For one, you may feel too heavy to move around. Aside from this, your stomach may feel uncomfortable due to the sudden water intake.

Thus, you should take a few sips instead of finishing a glass of water when you’re still working out. This way, you’ll be able to keep up with your fitness routine without anything weighing you down. You can always rehydrate yourself once you finish your session.

5. Drink A Refreshing Beverage

You have various options for your post-workout drink. For example, a glass of water is great for refreshing your body. You can also choose other kinds of beverages, like fruit juices or shakes, if you prefer something else.

Vegetable or fruit juices are great drinks to replenish your body’s sugar level. They also contain vitamins and minerals your body needs to recover after intense movement. Plus, some juices can help with weight loss since they’re low in calories and rich in nutrients, such as watermelon and pomegranate juices. And if you’re watching your diet, it’s ideal to stick with natural products rather than pre-packaged ones, so your drink contains no preservatives or sugar.

You can even make your own concoction by blending your favorite vegetables and fruits. Alternatively, you can use a juicer to remove the pulp if you prefer a drink with a water-like consistency.

A protein shake may be an excellent post-exercise beverage if you’re trying to bulk up or build muscle. You can use protein powder and mix it with water to make it. It’s an accessible and tasty drink you can add to your fitness regimen.

Other drinks, like coconut water or green tea, are just as effective in replenishing fluids after an intense workout session.

6. Take Soup

Beverages aren’t your only option to rehydrate your body after exercise. As a matter of fact, eating specific foods may replenish the fluids you lost. For instance, soup is a great hydrating meal you can enjoy after performing an intense activity. On top of that, it’s an excellent meal to reenergize your body and satiate your hunger after a long day.

Besides, it’s easier to eat than solid foods since liquid helps soften the ingredients. So, if you’re too tired to finish a meal to meet your daily calorie intake, it’s an alternative you can try.

Another advantage of soup as a post-workout meal is its convenience. You may feel too tired to prepare your meal after a workout session. However, skipping meals may hinder your fitness progress and make you feel weak, so you need to have your meal.

Some soup recipes are easy to follow since you only need to wait for the ingredients to cook in the broth. So, preparing soup while you’re tired won’t be a problem.

Final Thoughts

Hydration is vital to ensure you can perform your exercises with ease. If you live an active lifestyle, follow these tips to stay hydrated and energized before, during, and after a workout session.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.