Surely by now you’ve heard that drinking water is important to a healthy body, right? Even as a child you’ve heard that you need to make sure you are staying hydrated.
How much is enough, though? Will it actually help when it comes to getting fit? Let’s dive into the importance of keeping your body hydrated!
Why Should We Hydrate?
More than half (60%) of your body is composed of water, which would imply that it’s pretty important. If you think about your body in terms of a machine, it is constantly in motion. You are constantly losing water which means it constantly needs to be replaced! The amount of water in our body shouldn’t be out of balance or else the rest of us will be too!
One common theory is to drink eight, 8 ounce glasses of water every day, which comes out to roughly half a gallon. When you think about all of the water we lose through sweat and going to the bathrooms, many experts are beginning to say that this is just simply not enough to consume, especially if you participate in a fitness program!
One way we can break through the barrier of the 8×8 method is to just constantly sip during the day, even when we aren’t feeling thirsty. Don’t confuse this with overindulging on water, but rather just keeping a steady stream in the tank. One way to do this is to carry a sports bottle with you wherever you go!
Studies have even gone as far as to show that aside from quenching our thirst and replenishing the water in our body, making sure we are hydrated leads to improved brain functioning, less headaches and increased physical performance.
On the other hand, when you are trying to function on a water deficiency you will go through stages of decreased brain functioning, increased headaches and a noticeable drop off in physical performance.
Can More Water Lead to Fat Loss?
Absolutely, drinking water can encourage and lead to overall fat loss in the body. There are two reasons for this:
- Increased Metabolism:We have talked about increasing metabolism through eating more, smaller meals throughout the day. Increased hydration can have a similar effect. Water can increase out metabolism for about an hour when we are steadily drinking it. When consuming it cold, it can have an even greater impact on the metabolism. In other words, the more we drink, the higher the metabolism, the more fat loss due to calories burned!
- Reduced Appetite:People often confuse hunger for thirst throughout the day, leading to unneeded trips to the fridge or even vending machine! It is also a great idea to drink a glass of H2O prior to eating a meal so that you aren’t encouraged to over indulge when eating!
Health, Fitness, and Hydration
If staying hydrated, losing fat, and performing better weren’t reasons enough to make sure you drink enough water, there are plenty of other major life-altering reasons that you should make sure to treat your water intake seriously! Water can have the following long-term impact on our lives as well:
- Reduced Risk of Cancer
- Lower Likelihood of Constipation
- Diminished Chances of Kidney Stones
- Better, Healthier Skin
By now, it should be engrained in your mind that hydrating is imperative to a healthy, happy, fit body and lifestyle. So, if you don’t already have one, go out and get a large water bottle that you can keep with you at all times and refill when needed. One that you can bring with you on runs, hikes, and to the gym is even better!
At Fit Fx we aren’t just concerned with your performance while you are at the studio. We want to make sure your life is the best that it can be for the time you aren’t with us as well! Our memberships include free meal planning, during which time we will make sure to address your water intake! Let us help you achieve your goals! Check us out online at www.teamafterburn.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamafterburn.