Drinking water is so simple to do, yet many of us reach just the bare minimum of water intake.
why drinking water is important
Water makes up about two-thirds of the human body. Unlike food, water is something that the body can't go very long without.
Your body needs water to help you get rid of wastes through urination, perspiration and bowel movements. It helps to regulate your temperature, lubricate your joints and protect sensitive tissues.
water can affect your performance & pain sensitivity
Much of the body's water is concentrated in muscle tissue and blood and therefore dehydration can cause a significant decrease in exercise and athletic performance.
Even being just mildly dehydrated can make you feel tired and drained.
Some studies show a link between inadequate water intake and pain sensitivity. This means that you may be more sensitive to pain when you haven't had enough water than you would when you have kept yourself hydrated.
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED
The general guideline for men is 3.7 liters per day and for women 2.7 liters of fluids a day.
However, physical activity will change the need for water because the body sweats to regulate temperature and loses water in respiration. How much we sweat is individual, so this makes the need for water different from person to person.
You should aim to consume enough fluids to replace the sweat losses. So if you sweat a lot and are in high temperatures, you may need more than the general recommended amount to stay adequately hydrated.
GET HYDRATED, STAY HYDRATED
Some people just chug a couple of liters of water in the evening to reach their daily water goal. As long as we drink enough water per day that's all that matters, right? Not exactly.
Spending most of your day dehydrated and then consuming large amounts of water at the end of the day doesn’t give you the benefits of being hydrated. It mostly just makes you pee a lot shortly after.
The best strategy is to get hydrated first thing in the morning with a couple of glasses of water and then aim to stay hydrated by drinking fluids frequently throughout the day.
You may want to slow down with the fluids towards the evening so you won’t need to disturb your sleep with bathroom breaks during the night.
FLUID INTAKE AROUND EXERCISE
The recommendation is to drink water before exercising, during exercise (have a water bottle with you when you train) and after exercising.
In addition - pay attention to the signals your body is giving you and drink whenever you feel thristy.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR HYDRATION LEVELS
If you wonder about water intake around exercise, you may want to check your weight before and after. A significant decrease in weight means your water intake before and during the exercise bout has been inadequate to keep up with the water loss through sweating.
An easy and visual way to check your overall hydration levels is to pay attention to the color of your urine.
STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU INCREASE YOUR Fluid INTAKE
Add lemon, lime, cucumber, ginger or mint to plain water to make it tastier
If you struggle to get enough fluids from water only, add in other beverages (ideally without added sugar) and foods high in water such as watermelon
Drink a big glass or two of water every morning after getting up
Set an hourly reminder to drink some water
Fill up a water bottle and keep it with you throughout the day
Summary
Getting enough fluids from food and beverages is important for your general health and exercise performance. For optimal hydration levels you should drink water soon after you wake up and continue to have fluids consistently throughout the day, pay attention to the amount and color of your urine, and have water always before, during and after exercise.
For optimal health, pair good hydration with other healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, healthy nutrition and adequate sleep.
You can start your journey towards a healthier you today by joining my online training program or by booking a free 1:1 consultation with me.
I hope you enjoyed this post and found the information helpful!
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