Keeping hydrated with plenty of water is important during exercise. Here are some things to think about:
• Light physical activity requires at least 7 to 10 glasses of water per day, plus the fluid you get in your daily food consumption. Additional water should be ingested for your body to function properly during hot weather exercise.
• Vegetables and fruits are about 80 percent water, bread 35 percent, and rice or pasta dishes contain around 70 percent water. You can see that ingesting too little water is seldom a problem, unless you are participating in heavy physical activity.
• Water is usually the best sports drink, and most athletes ingest large quantities. Sweet drinks don’t satisfy thirst and they can keep you from getting adequately hydrated.
• Since the food you ingest before your workout can affect the fluid levels in your body, be aware that if you are dieting and exercising too, you may need more water. You might not be eating foods high enough in fluid content to keep you well hydrated.
• Water loss due to climate changes, altitude or illness may cause dehydration and can take as much as a week to correct. Alcoholic or caffeine beverages will also cause water loss because they act as diuretics and rob the body of water. So limit your intake of alcohol and salty foods if you plan on heavy physical exercise.
• There is a real need for that extra amount of water during exercise, especially during hot weather. Even if you are doing your exercise in an air conditioned room. I always have water bottles available for my exercise students and encourage their usage during class time.
— Carson City fitness writer Jerry Vance is a regular contributor to Carson Now