giriasis

Regarding drinking before class, a couple of years ago I noticed I was getting really tired, winded and dizzy a lot in class. I knew I needed water, but I would just sit to the side until I got my wind back. To remedy this, I started drinking at least 48 oz. of water throughout the day to keep myself hydrated during a one hour class. And I would keep another 24 oz waiting for me after class. I would easily down it after class, but I could make it through more easily and I didn't get dizzy as much. (Part of my problem with getting winded was that I was at a unhealthy weight weighing at 195 lbs at 5'5" tall [sorry, I don't know the metric conversion].)

Since then, I've maintained drinking my water and lost my weight. Losing the weight, or more correctly -- getting into a better physical shape -- helped my stamina a lot, but I did it the old fashioned way by eating less and working out (in addition to aikido).