How to Stay Hydrated While Doing Yoga as Exercise

For those of you who use yoga as daily exercise, you are certainly aware of its many benefits. You may feel flexible, strong, and more spiritually calm than you’ve ever felt before. With that said, proper hydration is another vital consideration to deepening your practice. To increase rewards, consider these practical tips for hydrating while using yoga as exercise.

Water is the source of life. Our bodies are made up of 70% of this vital fluid. So, it’s no surprise to know everyone should be drinking it daily. But, for a person who uses yoga as exercise, you might want to know more about exactly how much, how often, and what kind of water. The traditional recommendation for a person who does not exercise actively is approximately 64 fluid ounces of water per day. If you are practicing yoga daily, opt for an additional 8 fluid ounces for every thirty minutes you practice. This is a good rule of thumb to keep the lymphatic system, brain, and joints hydrated.

Advice for when to consume water? Try not to drink it all at once. Don’t procrastinate on fluid consumption and end up having to drink a half liter before bed time. Because this may be a larger amount of water than you’re used to consuming, plan accordingly. Wake up and drink a large glass of water and continue drinking small amounts all throughout the day. Make sure that you always have an aluminum-based reusable water bottle to refill. Try to drink a large quantity of liquid (say 20 fluid ounces or so) about a half hour before a meal. This will help reduce the chance of overeating and aid in digestion. Surprisingly enough do not over-hydrate during a class. Never take large gulps as in between asanas as it can upset the stomach and produce nausea. If you need to drink water at all during your practice, take very small sips.

Select clean, filtered water. Just as you would never eat vegetables laden with pesticides, don’t forget that drinking water can be filled with these harmful chemicals as well. One of the safest and most cost-effective ways to get your water filtered is to purchase a Brita or Pur filtration system. These are vital in removing mineral sedimentation, glasses, and other chemicals that end up in the public water supply. This method ends up being cheaper in the long run and allows you to stay away from the plastic-leaching effects of normal bottled water.

Last but not least, remember that your fluid intake can also come from any natural fluid. Organic juices, non-caffeinated herbal teas, almond milks, soymilks, and coconut water, for instance, can all count towards your daily fluid consumption. Just be sure that the water used to process those fluids was filtered first.

For those using yoga as exercise, staying properly hydrated is vital to a healthy yoga practice.