The old adage of not needing to drink unless you're thirsty does still
holds true when you're walking as it's extremely important for your
body that you keep it replenished with fluids. When you're walking,
you're sweating and, therefore, getting rid of a lot of the fluids in
your body. It's important for your health that you refill your body
with fluids. This will also make it easier for you to continue walking
comfortably.
What kind of fluids should you drink?
The kind of fluids that you should drink when walking will have a lot
to do with the kind of walking as well as the duration. Sports drinks
are recommended if you're planning on walking for 30 minutes or more,
such as a marathon or walkathon. Sports drinks have electrolytes and
carbohydrates that will not only provide your body with energy buy will
also help your body to absorb water quicker.
Some walkers try to dilute the sports drinks or eliminate them
altogether to avoid consuming the calories. Diluting them will only
decrease the benefits of the drink. It's important for your body that
you drink sports drinks that have carbohydrates. You may choose a drink
that's low calorie but will still replace the salt you're losing when
you walk. Many specialists recommend that you drink whatever beverage
you enjoy the most as long as you're drinking something. Many bikers
prefer just plain cold water. The best way to determine if you should
drink is if you're thirsty as your body will not lie to you.
How much should you drink?
It can be just as dangerous to drink too much as it can be to drink not
enough. If you don't drink enough you can become dehydrated while you
can get hyponatremia (low blood salt level and fluid overload) if you
drink too much. Weigh yourself both before and after you begin walking.
A rule of thumb is that you should not have a weight loss or gain of
more than 2%. If you do, it's an indication that you've been drinking
either too much or too little.
A good rule of thumb for walkers is 1 cup of water for every mile
walked. Your weight will also determine the amount. If you weight
pounds, you'll need a half cup while a 200 pound person will need a
full cup. Obviously, the slower you walk, the less you'll need because
you won't be losing it as fast. All things said, let your body do a lot
of the deciding for you.
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