Time for Exercise

Our world is covered by more water than land. Similarly, our bodies have a tremendous need for water. Our bodies are about 98% water.

Our bodies literally cannot function with too little water. Water is in our blood, organs… every part of our bodies rely on water. Water helps cells move nutrients and waste.

You always hear about the need to drink 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day. This actually a pretty arbitrary number, and no research supports it. In fact, there are some indications that drinking a liter of water (about 4 eight ounce glasses) a day is the quantity really required. However, the Mayo Clinic website suggests about 13 cups of beverages (not just water) a day for men, and 9 cups for women.
When you exercise, you do increase your need for water. However, it may not be as much as you think. Your needs depend on how warm the weather is and how much you sweat. In most cases, 2-3 cups per hour is quite sufficient. For heavy exercise, a sports drink may be even better than water, as it replaces the sodium you lose to sweat. Hyponatremia is a problem if you sweat too much without replacing your body’s sodium.

Water or other drinks help to flush out toxins that build as you exercise as well. This helps to limit muscle aches and pains.

Don’t wait until you get thirsty to start drinking. By the time you realize you’re thirsty, you may already be somewhat dehydrated. Especially when you’re exercising, take regular breaks for water.

Since I spend a lot of my day at the computer, I keep a sports bottle of water at my desk. It hold about 32 ounces, and makes drinking water far more convenient than going to the fridge for something else. I can take it with me on errands. I can put it in the freezer overnight if I know I’m going to need it in the car for a long trip.

What about other drinks? Even caffeinated drinks and sodas will help you to keep hydrated, but they are simply not as good for you in other ways. They may contain too many sugars and add unnecessary calories to your diet.

Don’t forget the food sources of water. Many fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of water. Watermelon is almost entirely water, for example. Talk about the perfect snack on a hot day!

Water benefits your body in many ways. Choose your water sources wisely as a part of your healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to drop coffee and soda entirely, but you should strongly limit them. If you work at it, you can build habits where you come to prefer water to other drinks. Water has no calories, so you can use your daily intake of calories for foods you may enjoy.