|
Magazine
FITNESS MATTERS
Just drink up
RAHUL VERGHESE
|
While you’re running, make sure you help your body replenish all the water it’s been losing.
|
I think you will agree that on a warm day when you come in from the sun, there is nothing better than a tall cold glass of iced water, perhaps with a slice of lime thrown in. “Why don’t you carry some water with you” I asked Komal, a neighbour and an occasional running companion. “It’s too uncomfortable and in any case I drink water before I leave home.” When I asked the same of 20-year-old Lalit, a Law College student, he looked at me as if to say, “It’s only you older folks who need water.”
I run five days a week, no matter where I am in, and I find that, in India, we tend to see the fewest number of people with a water bottle of any sort — either with them, or on a bench, or in their car.
Why you need it
So why water? A significant chunk of our body comprises water, and we tend to lose water even while just sitting. We should drink some water right through the day while we are at work too — not glasses but at least 3-4 sips at a time. Try it for a week and see how you feel.
We lose a heck of a lot more water when we run, and it is always a good idea to help the body replenish its reserves, to keep us going and get energised. It’s one thing which also helps us to improve our stamina.
Other precious fluids
A glass of orange juice in the morning is a great energiser as well as a good hydrater. Don’t leave home without it. I picked up a ‘friend’, a coconut vendor near my house, and bundled him into my car with 50 coconuts and his other gear last Saturday, to leisure valley in Gurgaon.
That was when we had the most delightful post-run re-hydration. Tender coconut water and its tender cream have a fantastic blend of salts and sugars and do wonders for the system.
On two occasions, once in a Bangalore marathon, and once in the 2008 Mumbai marathon, I have stopped reasonably close to the finish line (in the last five km or so) to have a swig of coconut water since the ‘official water’ had dried up.
I ‘treated’ four other fellow finishers at the Pune marathon in December last year to tender coconut! This is definitely my favourite and I would urge those of you who have not tried it, to try it, at the risk of getting addicted.
Moderation is the key. They say it’s healthy to drink alcohol in moderation, but the same goes for water and runners.
The right amount
Too little and you can damage kidneys, get dehydrated and more; too much and you can upset the salt balance in your system causing what they call hyponatremia, which is another big issue especially for novice long distance runners.
But this does not apply to more than 99 per cent of us in India who have not even started running yet.
What applies to running applies to your life behind the computer at work too. Keep well hydrated. Being hydrated after a binge of alcohol is also good to avoid the hangover. The same applies post-runner’s high!
Get high, Free. RUN!
The writer left a 25-year corporate career to found a company to enable individuals and organisations unleash their potential - via running. For more information, visit www.runningandliving.com
What you must do
Drink a glass of water before you leave home for your run.
Carry a bottle of water with you. Leave it on a bench and take a few sips every time you feel like when you pass by on your rounds.
On a longer run, carry a bottle in a pouch strapped to your waist.
Drink some water when you return home from your run.
Nothing refreshes better than a glass of cold water after a long run.
The right pouch
A water bottle pouch is rare to find in stores, but if you do, just check a few things:
The belt, once tightened, should not look as if it will loosen up easily.
The bottle should fit snugly and not seem as if it may slip out.
When you jump up and down or do a stationary jog while carrying a full bottle, it should stay absolutely firm.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
|
