Why do you think it’s important to hydrate your body? From my experiences as a trainer, people are told that you should drink water to stay healthy. That statement is completely true, however, there is a bit more to it.
After asking my personal training clients, how much water they are drinking throughout their day, I realized that they are not drinking enough liquids. Additionally, people are not even sure how much they should drink.
Ask yourself 3 questions:
- Do you drink enough water every day?
- Do you know how much water you should drink?
- Are you drinking extra if you workout?
Water check
Start today, notice how much you are drinking. You should also know that you can stay hydrated drinking other beverages, and some foods. If you choose to drink other beverages than water, like juice or coffee, know that juices are high in sugar and coffee has caffeine and often is paired with creme and sugar as well.
Having the extra sugar is not always bad, but if you drink these beverages all day, the calories and sugars add up quickly. These drinks that taste so good will play a part in weight gain.
Foods that can help you hydrate
Fresh fruits like watermelon, grapefruit, and grapes are a great source of water for your body. Homemade chicken, beef, and fish broths are good too.
How much water do I need?
Research shows that adequate intake for men, about 13 cups daily, and for women about 9 cups daily. Our bodies measure up to about 60 percent of water. Every day we lose water because we sweat, urinate, have bowel movements, and breath.
What can happen if you are dehydrated?
Since our bodies, major functions rely on water, if you’re dehydrated, you will experience complications. Complications such as problems with bowel movements and urination, rapid heart rate, altered mental state, low blood pressure, headache, feeling hungry, tiredness, and dry mouth.
Exercising
You will need to consume more water than if you did not workout. Approximately 1.5 to 2.5 cups more. If it’s scorching weather or you are sweating a lot drink the 2.5 cups. You may also want to add some sea salt to your water to replenish sodium in your body. There are several sports drinks that can replenish sodium in your body, like adding salt to your water.
Keep in mind sports drinks add other ingredients that are higher in sugar and other ingredients that are not easy to read the labels. If you can’t read it, don’t buy it!
Staying hydrated is imperative for your body to function correctly. When you plan to exercise, indoor or outdoor, consider your environment. Bring plenty of water with you even if you are not sure how much you will need. It is better to be safe than sorry.
