If you participate in any sport, including martial arts, you should know the importance of hydration. Especially in the hot summer months, losing enough water from your body can lead to some significant health problems.
Keep in mind you may not even feel that thirsty, especially when training in a cool environment. But it’s important for you to make yourself drink water and/or sports drinks to replenish the body fluids you lose.
Good hydration begins before your training time. One factor in knowing the importance of hydration is knowing what the weather will be the day before you train.
If you know it will be hot that day, be sure to drink plenty of good liquids then to prevent starting your training day already dehydrated.
Another factor in the importance of hydration is to start early the day of your training. When you get up, drink a glass of cold water. This will jump-start your metabolism as well as starting your hydration for the day.
Through the rest of that day, be sure to drink about a quart of water for every approximately, 60 pounds of your body weight.
About an hour before training, drink another glass of water to start your training session well hydrated.
Another aspect of the importance of hydration is to keep a bottle of water handy throughout your training session.
After training, stay away from soft drinks and other drinks that are sugary. These don’t help your thirst and won’t help you stay hydrated.
The holistic nature of martial arts makes it clear that you need to know the importance of hydration in order to keep your body working at its best.
Meeting your body’s needs is another factor in the importance of hydration. Not only will your physical body be kept working at its best, so will your mental body. You don’t think well when you’re dehydrated. Your concentration is sub-optimum, also. Both of these factors decrease your ability in the martial arts.
Listen to your body. When it tells you to get a drink, do so. Rely on your teachers to also keep an eye on you and to know when to tell you to drink. They’re there to help you in every aspect of martial arts, including knowing the importance of hydration.
Shifu Raymond Ahles at Blue Dragon School of Martial Arts is ready and able to help you remember the importance of hydration and use it appropriately in your training, along with many other life skills. He will monitor your training and sparring and make suggestions when he sees some area in which you may be lacking. Contact him at 201-385-3130 today and get started or started again!
