When You Should Hydrate
© Rose Truesdale
The most essential nutrient is water. In fact, it makes up about 60-70% of you! We all know that those high-intensity classes make you sweat, and in taking one at some point during the day, it can be easy to become dehydrated, especially if you don't drink up. So how do you know how much water to drink and when? Well simply put, hydration is important before, during, and after exercise. Below are a few guidelines we recommend you follow in order to maintain your good health, preventing headaches, dizziness, cramps, or the hindering of your daily tasks.
Before
About 2-3 hours before exercise, you should drink about 500ml of water. Even being just slightly dehydrated can lead to decreased performance. And then about 10 minutes before you get moving, drink 250ml. There is no need to over-hydrate before exercise, as the body is only able to absorb so much fluid. And if you drink too much before class, you may have to run to the restroom half way through. You don't want to be that guy or gal interrupting class for a quick empty of the bladder so it's actually better to drink 2-3 hours before class to give time for your body to absorb and rid the excess.
© Mike Fuchs
During
Taking drink breaks during the beginning of exercising can help keep thirst down throughout. It is important to drink cool fluids, not too cold nor too hot, in order to not shock the system. Water is the better choice, but if sports drinks are preferred, it is okay to drink them in order to help maintain hydration. Sports drinks are usually not necessary unless you are exercising over an hour at very high intensities. This is assuming that you will still be drinking water alongside!
After
After exercise, when you're all nice and sweaty, try and estimate how much water you lost and drink that much to replenish yourself. It's not necessary to chug it down straight away, all at once, but do so spread out over time.
In the studio, our Leogant water system is a great way to stay hydrated before, during, and after class (or even between meet ups with your friends in the lounge). What makes their system so incredibly amazing is the focus on maintaining the minerals and trace elements that make water unique and most beneficial to the body.
And remember, hydration is important, but don’t sweat it too much. ;)
Article written by Maddie Grobe