If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to drink more water, you’re not alone. Drinking more water seems to come in at the top of the list of most common contenders and it’s a great resolution to have since most Americans are typically dehydrated. If you’re dehydrated and you also have a resolution to lose weight this is not good news for your goal since many people mistake their thirst for hunger, so they often eat when their body is actually telling them to drink. Simply drinking more water can help to prevent unnecessary hunger and the associated weight gain.
The New Year is the perfect time to become aware of how much water you actually drink, and how much water you actually need. Just to put water consumption into perspective, did you know that by the time you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated? Yep, if you feel thirsty, your body already thinks you are trekking across the Sahara Desert.
Water is essential for all sorts of functions and without it, you can bet you won’t be feeling, acting, or looking your best. Thinking about upping your water intake? It’s not too late to set a goal for 2015 (or even for today)! And if you need any convincing, check out these reasons why water is about to become your new BFF.
- Boost Your Energy in the Morning and All Day Long.
Your body is about 60 percent water and every process in the body requires water, including digestion, circulation, nutrient transport and body-temperature maintenance. If you don’t get enough water, the body can’t function at its peak and even little movements like getting out of bed will feel like more of a struggle.
- Work Out Harder and Longer.
Even when you’re only slightly dehydrated (as most Americans typically are!), performance is impaired. Your training sessions suffer, you tire sooner and can’t work as hard. Water carries oxygen throughout the body and to the working muscles, so without oxygen, you better believe your workout takes a hit.
Water also:
-lubricates the joints
-moistens the lungs to facilitate breathing
-helps maintain proper muscle tone
Drink 17 to 20 ounces about two hours before exercise and continue drinking 4 to 8 ounces regularly every 15 minutes during exercise.
- Get Glowing Skin.
When you’re dehydrated, your skin looks dry and withered. Consume enough water and it helps to fill the spaces between your cells, making your skin look plump, youthful and glowing. Water also helps to keep skin from sagging after weight loss.
Woo! We are getting thirsty just thinking about how awesome water is. The benefits don’t stop there, either! To get the full list of reasons to love water, (like more on helping you shed a few pounds), check out the article we wrote for ACE Fitness!
2015 is the year to become one hydrated hottie! Don’t stress if you find water bland or boring; we got you covered with some palette-pleasing flavored water recipes, like Fruit and Herb Water or refreshing Cucumber Blueberry Water.
Here is to making 2015 the year you say buh-bye to dehydration and hello to H2O!