Am I Drinking Enough Water?
Water, water, and more water!
Athlete or non-athlete, young or old, big or small - we’re all told all the time to drink more water. But do you honestly know and understand the real reason why water is crucial for not only results in the gym but overall health? What are the consequences of not drinking enough water on a daily basis?
Regardless of your goal; trimming fat, maintenance, or muscle gain, you’re not maximizing your potential and hard work without ample water consumption.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I BE DRINKING?
Sadly, majority of the population drinks well-below the needed and recommended water intake.
Now, obviously a ton of factors such as age, gender, size, lifestyle, activity level and many more contribute to how much water you should be drinking each day.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that an acceptable daily intake for men is 3.7 liters (15.5 cups) and 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) for women. So, if you’re working an 8-hour day, that’s just over 1 cup per hour for women and just under 2 cups of water per HOUR for men! Drink up!
WHAT DOES WATER DO FOR MY BODY?
After Oxygen (which we consume quite a bit of on a daily basis), WATER is the 2nd most important factor in sustaining life. Water is the key component in just about every bodily process and thus 70% of every human-being is water.
To name just a few things water plays a vital role in:
- Brain Function
- Metabolizing Fat
- Regulating Body Temperature
- Digestion
- Proper Joint Function
- Nutrient Delivery
- Hunger Cues
Feeling weak, drastic spikes in appetite, and becoming easily fatigued are all signs of dehydration. Lack of hydration is 100% a contributing factor to lessening mental sharpness, causing performance both in and out of the gym to suffer.
Drinking 1-2 cups of water per hour EVERYDAY is the answer! As we know, maintaining a consistent diet and workout schedule is huge when trying to reach your physical best. Making sure water intake is more than adequate is just as important, if not more, when attempting to crush your goals.
HOW DO I DRINK MORE WATER?
- Set a SMART Goal
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time-Bound
- Drink 1 Glass of Water before each meal- A minimum of 3 meals a day is 3 extra cups of water. Boom!
- Swap other drinks for water.
Instead of that 1 soda a day or 2 cups of coffee every morning, knock-back a cold-water…..or 3. Extra. Cups. All. Day. Long!
Finally, keep a reusable shaker bottle with you. Whether you’re at the gym, sitting at work, or on-the-go with the kids, having a reliable and reusable shaker bottle handy makes water consumption a lot easier! One 26oz Ice Shaker is over THREE full cups of water!
Simple adjustments and tweaks like the ones listed above are easy to do and will have you well on your way to feeling better and smashing goals!
Stay tuned to the Ice Shaker Blog for news, tips and tricks.
