Wonders of Walking Blog

Heat Warning.

Water composes around 70+% of your body weight. Nearly every system of your body needs it to function properly, and yet, many of us are not getting enough on a daily basis. You want to hydrate early and often depending on the weather and terrain.

• Water is first choice if your distance is under 60 minutes  
• An electrolyte drink i.e. Recharge or Nuun for distances >60 minutes. 

It’s important to watch for warning signs for you or your teammates or walking buddies and know the signs of dehydration. ?

Early signs are:

• Thirst
• Flushed skin
• Premature fatigue
• Increased body temperature
• Faster breathing and pulse rate
• Increased perception of effort
• Decreased exercise capacity

Later signs include:

• Dizziness
• Increased weakness
• Labored breathing with exercise

Beyond just those who are exercising, in our every day life we must remember to hydrate properly. Outside elements such as over the counter medicines place a greater demand on the need of water for the body to process.

We continue to loose moisture through respiration, urination and sweating regardless of temperature or physical activity.

A warning sign could also be night cramps. Most of you can probably relate to those awful leg cramps that wake you with a start and have you jumping around your bedroom in the middle of the night. That is a good sign that you did not properly hydrate during the day. Often overlooked by most people is how dehydration is associated with inflammation.

Dehydration can lead to headaches and other joint aches and pains including back discomfort. Even tiredness and other digestive problems can also be a result of not drinking enough water or consuming too many non-water drinks. Who knew water could be the cause, and remedy, of so many aches and pains!

Limit exercise in extreme heat to early morning or evening. It may be time to check out an indoor treadmill. This is a good time to focus on strength exercises indoors.

-Coach Judy