Is it normal to retain water after long exercise sessions?

alicevick3
alicevick3 Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
I usually get in 30 min to an hour most days, but on the weekend that can be doubled and this particular weekend working on the garden and house I did around 4 hours each day. But when I stepped on the scale, the numbers were a couple pounds higher. I ate back the calories I burned, but did not go over. Does your body retain water to deal with the work/stress your muscles had, or is that just wishful thinking?

Replies

  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Yes, it's normal.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    very much so exercise is a physiological stress to the body and the body responds to that stress with inflammation. Try not to weigh yourself on the days after a stressful exercise session if you want to see a bigger loss.
  • johnknappcc
    johnknappcc Posts: 28
    If you were dehydrated before (say days when you weren't working outside) and then drank significantly more water due to working outside, it could explain the weight gain.

    However, some of the chore type workouts are way off in my opinion. A coworker of mine had raking leaves on his log and it compared similarly to a fairly moderate cardio workout. If you were eating back, and the estimate is off, that could be it.

    Water is heavy though 1 ounce volume = 1 ounce weight due to water's density, adds up quickly.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    I retain between 1 and 2 pounds of water after I exercise for about 3 hours.
  • girlonabikedc
    girlonabikedc Posts: 111 Member
    Yup. My fingers and hands will swell sometimes.
  • alicevick3
    alicevick3 Posts: 21
    Thanks, that's what I'm seeing, 1-2 lbs after three/four hour session. Just wanted to make sure. Gardening is fun, but in the Georgia sun, quite a workout! :flowerforyou:

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