Whether you're exercising indoors at the gym during winter months or you're outside in high humidity burning calories in the middle of summer, hydration is extremely important. But with so many options available, how do you make sure you're staying properly hydrated?
Water is the most plentiful, most inexpensive, and best way to hydrate yourself. Most fitness experts agree that for every 15 to 20 minutes of exercise, you should drink about six to 10 ounces of water (depending on the amount of exercising you're doing).
The problem with water, however, is that it's tasteless in its natural state, and most people simply don't drink enough of it. If you've just completed a long, strenuous workout, you may benefit by drinking a sports drink instead.
With the delicious flavors - and so many varieties - sports drinks are a fun and easy choice for runners and exercise enthusiasts. While they do not hydrate better than water, their appetizing tastes mean that you'll probably drink more sports drink than water. Some sports drinks offer a source of carbohydrates, in addition to electrolytes, which your body needs after sweating.
Avoid coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcohol and juices, which can all contribute to dehydration.
Follow the instructions below to maintain proper hydration before, during and after exercising:
Before exercising: drink at 8 to 10 ounces of water 10 to 15 minutes before exercising.
During exercising: drink 6 to 10 ounces of water for every 15 minutes of exercise. If you're exercising more than one hour, drink 10 ounces of sports drink every 20 to 30 minutes.
After exercising: continue drinking fluids, especially if you exercised for longer than 60 minutes, or if you had an intense workout.
No matter which form of hydration is your preferred choice, the important thing is to stay hydrated, especially during intensive workouts.
NOTE: Contact your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.
Author Resource:-
Mary Button is the co-founder and CFO of RaceReady, an online retailer of running and marathon apparel, including running shirts and running shorts Mary is an avid cross-trainer these days. She has completed numerous marathons and half marathons. She qualified for the US Olympic Marathon Trials in 1996 and again in 2000, when she was 40 years old. Her marathon Personal Record is a 2:42.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://best-running-articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
