Drinking enough water is one of the simplest and easiest lifestyle changes you can make, helping you lose weight and keep it off while improving your fitness levels. Here are five things that proper hydration does.
Increases intensity. There is actually no such thing as a lactate threshold. Your muscles do not stop working or get weak because there’s too much lactic acid being produced. Fatigue happens in your brain and as a result of the temperature of your muscle cells. Proper hydration allows your body to regulate its temperature better, keeping you going harder for longer. This leads to better fitness and more fat loss.
Improves recovery. The more water you drink, the less DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) you will feel. And the less sore you are, the more often you can work out. It follows that you’ll get better results in terms of fat loss and strength.
Regulates appetite. Very often people confuse thirst with hunger. Drinking water — especially before or during a meal — helps people regulate their appetite. In other words, drinking enough water helps you eat less without being hungry.
Protects your joints. Both water and movement are essential for keeping your joints lubricated and your cartilage supple. Without enough water and enough full-range movement, our joints and cartilage can dry out and become painful. Keeping your joints healthy is essential for being able to move and maintain (or establish) a healthy weight.
Displaces high-calorie beverages. The more water you drink, the less juice, soda or other high-calorie beverages you’ll drink (there is only so much room in your stomach). In behavioral change, it is usually much more effective to replace or displace something in your diet than it is to try and eliminate something.
How much water do I need? At True 180 Fitness, we’ve had a lot of success with half your bodyweight in ounces. That is, if I weigh 200 pounds, then I want 100 ounces. We’ve also found that converting this into the number of water bottles you need per day is very helpful, because it’s so simple. For example, if I have a 20-ounce water bottle, then my goal is to drink five of these per day.
A best-selling author and fitness expert, Josef Brandenburg owns True 180 Fitness in Georgetown. Information about his 14-Day trial may be found at true180.fitness.
