Water, Water, Water | The Importance of Hydration

Water—specifically, drinking enough water—is so important for good health. Get enough water, and you’ll feel healthy, energized, and able to do the things you want to do. Don’t get enough water, and you’ll feel sluggish, grumpy, and not as able to do all the things you want to do. Here are some interesting stats about water:

60% of your body is made up of water.
Water makes up 83% of your lungs, 79% of your muscles and kidneys, 73% of your brain and heart, 64% of your skin, and 31% of your bones.
3 out of 4 of us are chronically dehydrated.
And here’s a biggie: Mild dehydration (as little as 2% dehydrated) can have the same effect on your circulatory system as smoking one cigarette!

Along those same lines, here’s what different levels of dehydration can do to your body¹:

.5%: Increased strain on the heart
1%: Reduced aerobic endurance
3%: Reduced muscular endurance
4%: Reduced muscle strength, reduced motor skills, heat cramps
5%: Heat exhaustion, cramping, fatigue, reduced mental capacity
6%: Physical exhaustion, heatstroke, coma
10-20%: Death

In fact, by the time you start to feel thirsty, you’re already 1-2% dehydrated!

Ay, yi, yi. All of that’s more than a bit scary!

So…why, exactly, should you be drinking water besides preventing all of the above? Which to me, is more than enough to get me to drink up! Check out these reasons:

Helps your body maintain its fluid levels. Since your body is 60% water, this is super important!
Helps you lose weight. When we’re hungry, we’re often actually thirsty, so before you grab something to eat, drink some water instead. In fact, drinking the right amount of water can make or break your weight loss plan. So, if you’re not seeing the results you’d like, look at how much water you’re drinking. It really can make a difference!
Gives energy to your muscles for your daily activities and workouts too!
Help keep your skin nice.
Helps keep you “regular.”

And here are even more reasons to drink up…

Flushes waste from your body.
Helps your brain function better. Remember #1 above? Makes sense, right?
Helps regulate your body temperature.
Protects your organs, joints, and tissues.
Helps with digestion and nutrient absorption.
Keeps you from getting sick.

Now that we know WHY we should be drinking water, how can we tell if we’re dehydrated?

What color is your urine? It should be the color of light lemonade. If it’s darker, time to drink up!
You’re experiencing any or all of these symptoms: Headaches, tiredness, are having a hard time concentrating, and/or are just in a bad mood.
Try the skin pull test. Here’s how this one works: Pinch some skin on the back of your hand, hold it for a few seconds, and then let it go. If it bounces back immediately, you’re pretty hydrated. If not, time to drink up!
Once again, hungry could = thirsty. So if you’re hungry, drink a tall glass of water, wait a few minutes, and see if that hungry feeling goes away. If it does, you needed to drink water!

So how much water is enough? How much should you be drinking every day?

Aim for 1/2 your body weight in ounces. Every day. So if you weigh 150 lbs, shoot for 75 ounces. Every. Single. Day. And this is ideally water ONLY. If you’re struggling to drink enough water every day, the water in other drinks (protein shakes, smoothies, milk, etc.) can count. And when you work out, you’ll need to drink even more water. Especially in a hot and/or humid climate. Here’s how much ACE (The American Council on Exercise) recommends:

17-20 ounces two hours before the start of exercise. Or if you don’t have 2 hours, just do your best to drink as close to this amount as you can before exercising.
7-10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise.
16-24 ounces for every pound of body weight lost after exercise. Weigh yourself pre-workout then again post-workout, then drink the difference!

What if you’re not a huge fan of plain water, or you’re not sure how to drink THAT much water every day? Here are some tips that might help:

Use an additive like **BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) powder, and the grape flavor of this brand is my favorite. Why BCAAs? Some experts feel they can help with muscle building and repair, which sounds pretty awesome to me. And if I’m going to add something to my water anyway, why not add something that will help my muscles too??
Other options for additives are those 0 calorie drink enhancers that you can squirt into your water. I like both the BCAAs and the enhancers that squirt (as opposed to those in those single serving tubes) because I can control the amount of flavoring. I like just a taste of flavoring, more on the weak side. John, on the other hand, likes his much stronger. So the BCAA powder and squirtable enhancers work for both of us really well! And yes, these do contain artificial sweeteners, but I don’t use them enough to do any type of possible potential damage. And they help me drink more water every day!
Start small. Add an extra 8 ounces a day.
Get the right temperature. John likes his water ice cold. I like mine at room temperature, and I don’t drink as much if my water is too cold. #oppositesattract
Drink regularly throughout the day. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, and this small percentage of dehydration can affect you, both mentally and physically.
Likewise, drink a glass of water right after you wake up. This little habit, alone, can get you well on your way to hitting your daily water goal. I’ve been doing this for months, and when I forget to drink that glass of water first thing, I can tell pretty quickly. I just feel off!
Take a water bottle with you EVERYWHERE! That way you can drink regularly throughout the day no matter where you are.
Set alarms on your phone that will remind you to drink regularly.
Keep a water drinking chart and mark off different increments as you drink your water throughout the day. #allaboutcharts
Get cute water bottles—that totally can’t hurt! (More about this one below).
Try the “10 Gulp Rule”! This idea is from Chris and Heidi Powell, and it’s an amazing way to get that water down. Here’s how it works: Every time you walk by your water bottle, or your alarm goes off, or you remember to drink your water, take 10 gulps. You’ll hit your water goal in no time, and it’s easy, peasy!
Similar to water additives, try using a water infuser. Simply add your favorite fruits, and the infuser will do the work of adding those natural fruit flavorings to your water.
And if you’ve got kids around, encourage them to drink water instead of juice. Juice = lots of sugar, whether natural or not, plus they’re not getting the benefits of the fiber in that fruit they’re drinking. So drink water, eat fruit. Great idea for you too!

Another tip to help you get all of that water down—the perfect water bottles! I say “bottles” because how can you have only one?!?! What are my water bottle must-haves? No matter where I am, it must be easy to clean, and a straw makes it easier to get all that water down too. When I’m at home, my water bottles must hold a lot of water so I don’t have to refill them very often. For traveling, they must be spill-proof, for sure. I learned that one the hard way. #wetlaptopandbooks And get your kids their very own cute water bottles too! Here are some of my favorites:

Contigo 32 oz water bottle: I love this one! It holds a lot, and it’s leak proof—it even has a spout lock!
Blender Bottle 20 oz water bottle: I use this one when I work out because it’s smaller and it’s pretty. And it came with a wire whisk, which comes in handy for protein shakes too!
Owala 40 oz insulated water bottle w/ straw: This one has become my all-time favorite! It’s big…so I don’t have to refill it as often, it keeps my water cold longer, and the straw + sipping option is 🙌🏻. I have a 24 oz version that’s easier to travel with. Huge Oawala fan right herre!

Are you a water drinker? How do you make sure to get in all your water every day? I’m always looking for new tips, so please share!

Now for the fine print:

**Supplements: Please discuss any supplement with your healthcare team first. Different supplements can negatively interact with some medications, healthy conditions (known or unknown), and other supplements. WebMD is my go-to guide for understanding supplements. And here’s an interaction checker from WebMD that is also very useful. But again, always refer to your healthcare team!

**Disclaimer: The views, opinions, positions, research, analyses, strategies or other information discussed here are my views and are for informational purposes only. Please consult your physician or other health care professional before beginning this or any nutrition program or before incorporating any of this information into your health and wellness program.**

1. Bernardi, John, et al. The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition. 3rd ed., Precision Nutrition, 2018; 269.

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