Kathie Ingram Owen

The Importance of Drinking Water



Posted: Monday, September 04, 2006

by
Body Designer

As we approach the hottest time of the summer I thought it would be a good idea to write an article about drinking water. Water is the most abundant substance in your body. Water makes up 70-75% of your total body weight.

Temperature regulation is controlled by water. If you do not have sufficient amounts of water in your body, cooling can not take place. This is so important to us during the summer months. You should always have water available to drink during these times. It is recommended that you drink 8 to 10 (8 ounce) glasses of water every day. But when you are exposed to the heat and during exercise sessions you should increase that amount to adequately hydrate yourself and regulate body temperature.

Water helps you recover from workouts, aids in fat based fueling of muscles, and is stored inside your cells. Dehydration, even a little dehydration, reduces the effectiveness of these functions, and lowers your performance levels.

As a fitness enthusiast you need more water than an inactive individual. It is recommended that you drink plenty of water daily, especially 20 minutes before any athletic event, and following high carbohydrate meals. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. By the time your body reaches that point, you have already been deficient of this fluid.

Here are some tips to make sure you drink more water and some things you may or may not have known about water:

  • Always take a water bottle with you to exercise class and workouts.
  • Room temperature water gets into your system quicker because your body does not need to warm it up. This can speed up your metabolism!
  • But cold water appeals more to the palate and can cool you down quicker.
  • Have bottled water in your car. Actually you should have bottled water with you at all times.
  • Municipal water is processed through a treatment plant that adds chlorine to disinfect it. There are also a host of other contaminants found in municipal water supplies. This can affect sports performance and even have been shown to cause cancer.
  • So it is wise to purchase bottled water at the grocery store and always have plenty on stock to drink.
  • Because water aids in metabolism, drinking plenty of it will eliminate toxins.
  • Drink more than 8-10 glasses of water a day.
  • Again, because water aids in metabolism and because it eliminates toxins from the body, water primes the body for fat loss. Fat is a toxin!
  • Drink a glass of water before meals. This helps curb appetite. A lot of times your may feel hungry when in fact your body is just asking for a drink of water.
    • Enjoy your summer and drink plenty of water to keep cool and healthy!

    Kathie Ingram Owen is a Certified Fitness Trainer in the Houston Area. She is also a Certified Specialist in Older Adult Fitness and a Certified Specialist in Sport Conditioning as well as a Certified Life Coach with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston. She has a studio in Rosenberg, Texas where she uses the TheraPlex Unit as her main form of exercise. Please visit Kathie's Fitness Blog for more information about Kathie and to read all her FREE articles and information.

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