If you are a bigger babe or a hefty hunk or simply a plus size exerciser, then it's important to find supportive and comfortable plus size workout clothes. But there is a lot more to a good workout than just what we might be wearing. The type of exercise we choose is really important. Good exercise options for plus-sizers are low impact regimes such as walking, swimming and bike riding or gym classes such as pump or spin. A further factor that is critical during exercise is hydration. It's really important to keep drinking during exercise and afterwards. Water is an ideal choice but increasingly gym goers, cyclists and others who are out and about exercising are filling their drink bottles with sports drinks which come in a variety of colours and flavours. Why this sudden change? What is wrong with just good old water?
During exercise, the body loses water. The hotter the external temperature and the greater the intensity of the workout, the more water is lost. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, on average, people lose between 2% and 6% of their body weight during exercise. It's important to replace these fluids and drinking water is an ideal way of doing this.
Water is critical for the human body to regulate body temperature and for normal metabolic activities such as the transportation of oxygen, nutrients and waste around the body. Blood is approximately 50% water and if the body becomes dehydrated then fatigue, dizziness, cramps, heat stroke or heat exhaustion can result.
While water is the best option when it comes to rehydrating the body, many people choose to drink sports drinks, juice or flavoured water during their workout. If you are exercising to lose weight then water is the best option. A British Medical Journal study conducted in 2012 revealed that guzzling sugar-laden sports drinks during exercise contributes enough calories as to cancel out the energy burning elements of exercise. A 32 ounce or 960 ml bottle of Original Gatorade provides 200 calories and 56g of sugar. A 160 pound (or 72.5 kg) person will need to jog for 20 minutes to burn those calories off.
If you are convinced that the calories are worth it because of the performance enhancing elements of sports drinks, then you might need to think again. Researchers at Oxford University examined marketing claims around food and drinks touted as performance enhancing and found most to be baseless.
While sports drinks are not recommended for your everyday workout session, juice and carbonated soft drinks are even worse. Juice is rich in fructose (sugar) and is a source of concentrated calories, something we are usually trying to avoid, particularly if we are exercising to lose weight. Soft drinks are full of sugar and acid. They are a poor choice for hydration during exercise.
For hydration water is the best choice and the recommendation is 4 - 6 ounces (120 - 180 ml) of water for every 15-20 minutes of exercise.
Aggressive advertising campaigns have significantly elevated the profile and consumption of sports drinks. However, if you are a plus size exerciser who wants to eventually peel off those kilo's then it's best to leave the sports drinks to the elite athletes and guzzle on oodles of cool, refreshing H2O.
If you love to read about health and fitness then you can read more from Ally on her blogs http://www.eplussizeworkoutclothes.com and http://www.toloseweightathome.com.
What are you waiting for?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_M_Osborne
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