Exercise and Staying Hydrated

One of the leading causes of exercise cramps and failure is dehydration. Water is essential for all body processes, and a shortage of water can lead to reduced performance, fuzzy mental processing and even pain. Staying hydrated for exercise means drinking enough liquids before, during and after activity. If you start to feel thirsty during exercise, you've already reached a point where you have a water shortage. Drinking water isn't rocket science. Listen to the signals your body sends your brain and drink to satisfaction. If you ever start to feel dizzy or abnormally fatigued, you should stop exercising immediately as you are likely dehydrated.

Water is good enough for most people on a normal exercise routine, but people who have intense or unusually long routines would benefit from fluids that help replace vital nutrients and energy. Chocolate  or coconut milk are great at replenishing the body, but regular sports drinks can do the trick as well. Some football players are known to drink water and suck on an orange in the locker room during half time. Whatever your choice of beverage is, make sure you take the time out of your routine to replace the fluids you have lost.

It is possible to drink too much water, but it is very uncommon. One famous case of water overdose was a radio show water drinking competition in which a woman drank herself to death. Drinking this much water requires you to force drink, which is very unpleasant and something nobody would do under normal conditions. Normal drinking while working out on an elliptical or treadmill produces nearly zero risk.