By Marcus Morgan, M.Ed., Exercise Science, Fitness Professional
This article will help you understand how much water to drink and what the benefits of drinking water are. You'll know how much to drink when exercising and how much on a regular day.
Many people appear to be carrying bottled water everywhere they go. Water should be the most popular drink in the United States, but many beverages compete for its attention. Although there is a suggestion to drink eight glasses of water a day, staying hydrated with more than necessary can be beneficial on hot days.
Consuming water, either plainly or in foods, is essential to your health. Water helps keep the body cells healthy and functioning properly. It also helps you detox on hot days in the form of sweat—sweat also helps keep us cool.
Water must be replaced due to its loss through the skin as sweat, breathing, urine, and stool passing. When water consumption is not equal to how much you put out, you can become dehydrated. The more you exercise and the hotter it is, typically the more water you need to consume. Here are 'The TOP 6 Reasons Why You Should Drink More Water!'
Quick Tip | Exercise Drinking
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids.
Your body is composed of roughly 60% water—that's alot! The functions of water in your body include helping to create bodily fluids, improve digestion, increase absorption, enhance circulation, create saliva, support nutrient transportation, regulate body temperature, and most importantly water serves a source of detoxification...all those benefits lead to goodness!
2. Water Can Help Control Calories
People that diet can drink lots of water as a weight loss strategy. Water alone doesn't have a 'superpower" to stimulate weightloss, but when added to the diet, less food is consumed and high calorie drinks are easily avoided.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles
Your muscles are made of cells that if they don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes (minerals), they shrivel and can function improperly resulting, in muscle fatigue and cramps. Drinking plenty of water keeps muscle cells full and functional. Replacing water in the muscles is important throughout the day and when exercising.
Quick Tip | Daily Drinking
Drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day. BUT UNDERSTAND, some people may drink fewer than eight glasses and feel fine and others may drink exactly 8 glasses of water and feel full. Thirst can be a good indicator of the need to drink water, but just drink it anyway if you can remember.
4. Water Helps Detoxify Your Body
Water helps flush toxins and waste from the body and transports nutrients to where they are needed. Water is often secreted through the skin as sweat, carrying salt binders and toxic chemicals to the surface of the skin. After a bout of sweating, the body often feels refreshed and healthy.
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys.
Water is also important to our kidney system. The kidneys are unique in their filtering capabilities and totally dependent upon water in order to work properly. The kidneys remove waste products from the blood, eliminate toxic substances in the urine, and receive water-soluble toxins from the liver for processing. They filter large amounts of blood each day and help maintain the body’s water balance, excreting toxins and excess fluid through the bladder.
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function
Regarding the "bottom end of the body", water helps the contents of your colon stay lubricated. Without water, the fecal matter can dry out and get stuck, eventually causing constipation. In the colon, water functions as a natural lubricant that softens stool and promotes evacuation of the bowels.
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