1. Good Old-Fashioned Water
Actually, it's better not to hydrate during your actual yoga session. It interferes with your energy system and breaks your focus, breathing and concentration required to hold a pose. It's better to arrive well-hydrated before a class and to further hydrate yourself after the class is finished. The best way to hydrate yourself is to drink plenty of water. Drink at least 1 8-ounce cup of water no sooner than half an hour before your practice. As soon as you can, drink another 8-ounce cup, or more, of water after your practice.
2. Sports Drinks
Drinking a sports drink before you begin your yoga workout might help keep you hydrated during your practice. Sports drinks are specifically designed to keep you well-hydrated and fueled during exercise, which is important especially during hot yoga and other more intense forms of this exercise. Sports drinks are heavy in the carbohydrates. For 8 ounces, the typical carbohydrate level is 6 to 8 percent, which translates to around 14 to 20 grams of carbohydrate per 1 cup of the drink. Most sports drink also have a lot of sugar. If your sugar levels are an issue, read the ingredient labels on sports drinks very closely. Also, a sports drink can have equal or more calories than a can of soda.
3. Energy Drinks: They're Not the Same as Sports Drinks
The main purpose of sports drinks is to rehydrate the body. However, energy drinks are meant to provide mental and physical energy or stimulation. So unlike sports drinks, energy drinks usually contain caffeine and protei-building blocks as well as carbohydrates. While you can drink an energy drink before a yoga practice to keep you hydrated during the workout, it's better to drink water or even a regular sports drink. Energy drinks were designed to keep energy levels up during periods of intense physical activity, but some studies suggest the drinks could lead to dehydration.
4. Popping the Edible Hydration SportsStrip
With 0 carbs, 0 sugar and 0 calories, some people swear by the Enlyten SportsStrip by HealthSport. They are supposed to taste good and come in 3 flavors: orange, vanilla berry and grape. The company promotes the product as a defense against dehydration. You place the flavored strip between your gum and cheek to keep you hydrated during your workout. The SportsStrip is popular for those who practice yoga since you can keep hydrated during your practice without getting up to drink fluids from a bottle and breaking your concentration and focus. For the strips to work, they must be placed against the gums to allow for more rapid absorption. However, these strips aren't meant to entirely replace drinking fluids.
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