The Importance of Drinking Adequate Water

7. Water Helps to Maximize Physical Performance

If we do not stay hydrated, physical performance can suffer. This is particularly important during intense exercise or high heat. Dehydration can have a noticeable effect if you lose as little as 2% of your body’s water content. However, it is not uncommon for athletes to lose up to 6-10% of their water weight via sweat.

This can lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise feel much more difficult, both physically and mentally. Optimal hydration has been shown to prevent this from happening, and may even reduce the oxidative stress that occurs during high intensity exercise. This is not surprising when you consider that muscle is about 80% water. So, if you exercise intensely and tend to sweat, then staying hydrated can help you perform at your absolute best.

8. Drinking Water May Help to Prevent and Treat Headaches

Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines in some individuals. Several studies have shown that water can relieve headaches in those who are dehydrated.

However, this appears to depend on the type of headache.

9. Water Helps Prevent Hangovers

Something we are all very aware of and experienced with! Alcohol is a diuretic, so it makes you lose more water than you take in. This can lead to dehydration. Although dehydration is not the main cause of hangovers, it can cause symptoms like thirst, fatigue, headache and dry mouth.

A good way to reduce hangovers is to drink a glass of water between drinks, and to have at least one big glass of water before going to bed.

10. Drinking More Water Can Help With Weight Loss

Drinking plenty of water can help you lose weight. This is due to the fact that water can increase satiety and boost your metabolic rate. In various studies, drinking half a liter (17 ounces) of water was shown to increase metabolism by 24-30% for up to 1.5 hours.

This means that drinking 2 liters of water every day can increase your total energy expenditure by up to 96 calories per day. The timing is important too, and drinking water half an hour before meals is the most effective. It can make you feel more full, so that you eat fewer calories.

It is actually best to drink water cold, because then the body will use additional energy (calories) to heat the water to body temperature.

11. Productivity boost

In order to really focus, a glass of water could help people concentrate and stay refreshed and alert.

12. Pain prevention

A little water can really go a long way. Aching joints and muscle cramps and strains can all occur if the body is dehydrated.

Tips to Help You Drink More Water

If you think you need to be drinking more water, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

1. Begin by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up. Have a glass of water before or thirty minutes after every snack or meal (This will help control appetite too).

2. Choose beverages you enjoy; you’re likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste. If the taste begins to bore you, spice up the taste buds with a squeeze of citrus to the glass! Before you know it, all the benefits of water will be right at your fingertips and in your body. However, soft drinks or high-caloric drinks aren’t an option in this case.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables . Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.

4. Workout, stay active and sweat! The more water the body consumes, the higher the amount of water it will need. I consume anywhere between 3 – 3.5L water on an average everyday, which reduces to around 2-2.5L on non-workout/rest days.

5. Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag. Keeping a bottle in front of you on your table will psychologically make you thirsty and want to drink more water.

6. Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.

7. Use an app that reminds you to drink water. As silly as it sounds, this is what helped me in the initial stages when I wanted to up my water intake.

8. You have to put a constant effort into it the first few weeks, before it becomes a habit.

Hydration can go a long way in improving your health and immunity. It’s best to drink an adequate amount of water and always stay hydrated. As always, stay healthy.

Regards,

The Travellothoner

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