If the hot weather is getting to you, heading to the beach or pool can be a relaxing way to escape the brutal summer heat. Immersing yourself in the cool water can help to reset your body temperature to normal levels, especially after exercise. Going for a swim in a pool or in the ocean is a great way to exercise while avoiding the heat. However, it is important to understand two things: you still sweat (a lot) while in the water, and despite being fully immersed in water you can still become dehydrated!
It may be hard to tell because your skin is already wet, but just like any other form of exercise, you still sweat while swimming. Swimming is a taxing, total body workout and comparatively is one of the top calorie burning exercises you can perform. Burning calories raises internal body temperatures which causes us to sweat. Cool water can initially combat the rise in body temperature but only to a certain point, then the body has to cool itself down by sweating.
We lose a tremendous amount of water and electrolytes when we sweat. Our bodies can’t soak up the water around us, hence we must drink enough fluids in order to replace what is lost. You should fill up on fluids before and after a water workout (and depending on the duration of the workout, you may need to hydrate during). Dehydration can cause symptoms such as cramping, dizziness, and fatigue; so it is important to continually hydrate throughout the day. Here is good formula to estimate how much water to you should consume daily:
– Body weight (lbs) divided by 2 = ounces of water you should drink each day
o Ex. 200 lbs/2 = 100 , recommended to drink ~100 ounces of water/day
Remember, even though you are cool in the pool it’s necessary to put some water back in your body!
By David McCalla
