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As fall activities ramp up, a cardiologist warns that skipping proper hydration could force your heart to work overtime—and spike your blood pressure.

"When you get really dehydrated, the blood volume is lower, and that's gonna lead your heart to have to beat faster to circulate enough oxygen to your body," said Dr. Glenn Hirsch, Chief of the Division of Cardiology at National Jewish Health.

The surprising consequence? "When the blood volume is down, you still have the same number of cells in your blood, so the viscosity in the blood will go up and that can even lead to the blood pressure going up," Hirsch explained.

With autumn events approaching, Hirsch recommends starting hydration three hours before activities, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and replenishing electrolytes through salty foods or supplements.

"At some point, if you're only drinking pure water and you're sweating a lot, your sodium level is gonna drop and that can actually be dangerous," he warned.

Watch the full video above for more on this topic.

Think Hydration is Just for Summer? Your Heart Disagrees