When heading out for a walk, most people think about comfortable shoes, maybe headphones, perhaps a pleasant route, but precisely the simplest thing is often forgotten at home: A water bottle. There are those who do not take water because it is heavy, there are those who say they "do not feel thirsty", and there are those who plan to drink when they return home. But in practice, especially during physical activity, even if it is "only" a walk, drinking has a much more important role than quenching thirst.
It affects the ability to persist, the feeling of fatigue, the walking pace, headaches and dizziness, and even how many calories we actually burn during the workout. And if you are already taking water for a walk, there is a good reason to take even two small bottles, one in each hand. This is not a magic trick for burning fat, but it is a simple, available, and smart addition that can make the walk a slightly more effective workout.
Mild dehydration already affects performance: There is no need to reach a state of extreme thirst for the body to start feeling the lack of fluids. During physical activity, especially on hot or humid days, the body loses fluids through sweat. A loss of about 2% of body weight in fluids is already considered significant in terms of physical function, and in studies on physical activity, it was found that it can impair aerobic capacity, increase the perception of effort, and make it difficult to maintain a steady pace.
A review published in Sports Medicine found that dehydration during endurance activity increases the perception of effort, meaning that the same workout feels harder even if you are actually performing the same action. The guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, also emphasize that the goal during activity is to begin it in a proper fluid state, and to prevent excessive fluid loss during the effort. According to the guidelines, maintaining adequate hydration contributes to safety, health, and physical performance.
In clear words: When you do not drink enough, the body does not "exert more and burn more", but rather the opposite. We might slow down without noticing, stop earlier, feel heaviness, and sometimes even think we are less fit, when in fact we simply lack fluids.
Water helps maintain a steady pace: One of the important things in a walk is continuity. You do not have to run, you do not have to pant, but it is advisable to maintain a walking pace that raises the heart rate a bit and lasts over time. When we start to dehydrate, even if slightly, the body tries to cool itself, the heart rate may rise, the perception of effort increases, and sometimes we slow down unconsciously.
Therefore, an available water bottle in hand is not just a solution for thirst. It helps to drink in small sips along the way, instead of arriving home with a feeling of dryness, a headache, or unexplained fatigue. This is especially true for those who walk in the heat or in the sun, for those who sweat a lot, for those who tend to forget to drink during the day, and also for those who head out for a walk after long working hours, when they already start the workout in a less-than-ideal fluid state.
There is no need to forcefully drink large amounts. The idea is simply to keep water available, drink from time to time, and listen to the body. On a short walk in pleasant weather, a small bottle might suffice, but on a longer walk or on a hot day, two bottles can be an excellent idea.
Two small bottles are also two small weights – the second advantage, which is not always thought of: A half-liter water bottle weighs about half a kilo. Two bottles, one in each hand, are actually two very light weights. This does not turn the walk into a full strength workout, of course, but it is a small addition of resistance to the upper body. In an interesting study published in The Physician and Sportsmedicine, walking with hand weights was examined. It was found that walking with weights increased the heart rate and oxygen consumption, meaning the body's energy demand, compared to walking without weights. The increase was not dramatic, but it was present.
The effect of light hand weights on calorie burning is not always large, and it depends on the weight, the walking pace, the movement of the arms, and the duration of the activity.
A study published in Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found that walking with hand weights does not always significantly increase energy expenditure, but it can increase the perception of effort.
So true, this is not a huge leap in calorie burning, but rather a small addition. But when it comes to a daily habit, even small additions accumulate.
If you need to take water anyway, and if you are holding them in your hand anyway, you can gain a little more work for the arms, shoulders, and upper back.
Gentle strengthening of the upper body: Walking is a great activity, but it is mainly a lower body activity. The legs, glutes, calf muscles, and heart work, but the arms receive almost no load. When holding two bottles and moving the arms naturally, without exaggerated movements, you add a bit of work to the muscles of the arms, shoulders, and upper back. Of course, this is not a substitute for a strength workout, and it will not build muscle like weights in a gym, but for those looking for a simple way to add some activity to the upper body, it is a nice start.
Less confusion between thirst and hunger: There is another important advantage, especially for those who return from a walk feeling that they are "starving". Sometimes it is indeed hunger, especially if many hours have passed since the last meal. But often it is thirst, fatigue, or a slight decline in fluids, which feel in the body like an urgent need to eat something.
Drinking during the walk can reduce this feeling. It does not replace a meal, and obviously one should not use water to "stifle hunger", but it can help to better distinguish between real hunger and thirst.
For those who walk as part of a weight loss or weight maintenance process, this can be very significant. Sometimes the difference between coming home and eating an orderly meal versus grabbing whatever is at hand starts precisely with the simple question of whether we drank enough on the way.
How much water to take to prevent dehydration? For a half-hour walk in pleasant weather, one half-liter bottle can suffice for most people. For a longer walk, a hot day, a route with inclines, or people who sweat a lot, two small bottles and no less. You can drink from them gradually, and during the first half of the walk, they also serve as light weights.
The important rule is not to turn it into a punishment. If two bottles interfere, you can take one in hand and one in a small bag. If it is uncomfortable to hold them the entire way, you can drink part of it already at the beginning of the walk and reduce the weight. The main thing is not to go out for a walk without water at all, especially in the Israeli summer.