Weight loss surgery changes many aspects of your life, including your diet and exercise habits. For many people who have weight loss surgery, exercise isn’t a big part of their life prior to their bariatric procedure. This means that in addition to undergoing a great many dietary changes post-surgery, you also may find yourself learning a lot about physical activity, not to mention trying to find time to fit a whole exercise plan into your changing lifestyle.

In all of the excitement that comes with learning about new exercise programs and different workout techniques, it is easy to overlook a few of the most essential details. For example, as you are concentrating on learning how to run, how to keep up in an exercise class, or how to use the different equipment at the gym, you may not think much about how much water you are drinking throughout the day, and how that may influence your ability to workout.

Following weight loss surgery, you have to be careful with how much fluid you drink at any one time. You can’t grab a water bottle and chug the entire contents anymore. This will fill up your stomach too quickly and may result in some discomfort.

Instead, the best thing you can do is keep water with you all day long and take small sips regularly throughout the day. This takes more time and dedication, but the result is that you are able to stay hydrated all day long. Being cautious like this will help you to be ready for your workout when you get to that point in your day.

Here are a few tips to help you stay hydrated and healthy during your workout:

• Keep a water bottle with you and drink from it regularly throughout your workout. Try to drink from it all day off and on, if possible.
• Don’t work out during the hottest part of the day! Schedule your workouts for the morning or evening, and try to stay out of the direct sun.
• Be aware of the primary signs of dehydration, including dizziness, confusion, headache, dry mouth, intense thirst and fatigue. If you are dehydrated, get inside and focus on refueling.

Exercise should become a regular part of your life after weight loss surgery, but it is something that you need to ease into. Talk to your weight loss surgeon before making any sudden changes to your physical activity level.