Proper Hydration
I can not tell you how happy I am to give my two cents towards the water debate. How many of you reading this are currently carrying around a gallon size water bottle, with the hopes of finishing it before midnight? Only to refill it and do it again the next day. I have the half-gallon bottle myself because I find it easier to keep water handy if I have my bottle. If you follow The Jealous Vegan podcasts, you may recall an episode about bottled water. What I mostly took from that recording was that we are killing the planet with plastic bottles. So this is one of the ways I’m helping to save the planet. I use the filtered water fountains to refill my half-gallon bottle 99% of the time.
We all know water is essential. You can live longer without food than without water, so please drink up. But, it’s the trend now to have a mega water bottle and spend the day ‘chugging.’ If I can be honest, I have a half-gallon water bottle and most days I barely finish it. Most days, a half-gallon feels sufficient for my body. The exception is if I have a long, hard, workout or really exert myself and exercise twice in one day. I am not sure how we all made one gallon the benchmark for water intake, but here’s the ideal number, according to experts. Experts say the average adult male should consume 3.0-3.7 L or .79- 0.97 gallons of water. The average adult female needs 2.2 -2.7 L or .58- .71 gallons. That means that the average man needs just about a gallon and women require about half a gallon. If you’re active or live in a hot climate, you will undoubtedly consume more than the average. These numbers are just the baseline. Another recommended baseline for proper hydration is to drink 1/2-1 ounce of water per pound of body weight. Yet, another way is to take your body weight and multiply it by 67%, the total in the number of ounces you need. It seems like a lot, but it’s not. Once you do the calculation, jot the number down until the next time you weigh yourself. Start here and then find an intake that feels good for your body. I can not stress enough that this is very general information. You may need more water based on your age, amount of activity, and over health. Do your research and/or ask a professional if you can’t figure it out independently.
Proper hydration is essential in your wellness journey. The human body is about 60% water, so if you allow yourself to get dehydrated, your whole body will feel it. Remember, by the time you feel thirsty, you are very dehydrated. There are a few additional rules around hydration and fitness. The biggest are these:
Consume 14-22 ounces of water 2 hours before exercise.
Drink 6-12 ounces for every 15-20 minutes of exercise, and
Have 16-24 ounces of water for every pound of weight lost after exercise.
If you’re really dedicated, weigh yourself before and after your workouts for accurate numbers. I eyeball it myself. My rule of thumb is: if I sweat a lot, I drink a lot; if I don’t sweat too much, I drink less. Some effects of dehydration that you might not readily notice are: increased heart rate, sodium retention, decreased blood flow to the skin, increased perceived exertion, increased core temperature, decreased sweat rate and reduced performance, to name a few. Honestly, unless you plan on becoming a performance athlete, you don’t need to focus too much on hydration science. What you do need to know is that it’s vital to get enough water.
If you are not a water drinker normally, hopefully, you can start to be more mindful of your water intake. An important thing to remember is that ‘thoughtful progress is more sustainable than energetic bursts.’ Try adding a glass of water to your routine. When I started to be mindful of my water, I made sure to drink when I woke up and right before bed and I still do that. It’s only recently that I added the bottle.
If you are already a part of the water bottle gang, check that bottle! Remember the goal and get it done!
click here for a more in depth article on the importance of proper hydration.