Staying properly hydrated is important at all times, but it becomes critical when you’re engaged in sports activities. People who are exerting themselves through vigorous actions lose a lot of liquids. During the winter sports season, most people focus on frostbite and hypothermia, which makes complete sense. However, it’s important they don’t forget about the clear danger of dehydration.
Dehydration Is Very Common During Winter Sports Activities
Dehydration is a major concern for anyone who exercises in the cold. Your body is forced to work extremely hard and water is lost as your body deals with the extreme temperatures. It doesn’t take much to become dehydrated in situations like this. What makes dehydration an even bigger threat is that people don’t feel as thirsty when it’s cold out. Their body does not signal them about how their dehydration is becoming severe like happens on a hot day. This simple fact means it’s very important to hydrate even when you aren’t feeling particularly thirsty. If you were to wait for your body to signal you, it’s probably already a little late.
Keep the Fluids Coming
The simplest way to make sure that you’re getting proper hydration is to drink a lot of water or specially formulated sports drinks. By consuming plenty of water, your body has the liquids it needs to keep your body functioning properly, regardless of how hard you’re working and how cold the temperatures are.
- Keep sipping – Sip on water or sports drinks drinks often. This assures that you’re replacing the liquid you’re losing through exertion.
- Sports drinks help – These drinks are specifically-formulated to hydrate quickly. Sports drinks that contain electrolytes are helpful for replenishing your body in a hurry.
- Coconut water is a viable option – This healthy water is derived from coconuts. It contains plenty of natural electrolytes. Some people rely on coconut water as a base to make their own sports drinks. Coconut water is not only refreshing, but it’s a very tasty beverage as well.
- Eat fruit – You’ll probably want to eat fruit prior to your day’s activity. Fruit is filled with water and is a great tasting and healthy way to get adequate water. Further, it contains healthy vitamins and minerals to fuel your day!
Keeping yourself hydrated requires a plan and the proper mindset. Being aware of the risk of dehydration is the first step towards ensuring you don’t suffer its effects. The problem of dehydration is important enough to warrant a general awareness of the dangers surrounding it. Dehydration is a serious health concern for anyone engaging in winter sports or activities. Take the right steps prevent dehydration before it happens to you or your loved ones this winter.