So a lot of people don’t realize this and they really take it for granted, but getting enough water is a huge deal when working out or trying to lose weight. One of the first things to understand is that the body can’t retain unlimited amounts of water, so drinking a ton of water all at once just isn’t gunna cut it, you need to space out your consumption throughout the day. The standard amount you should drink is eight glasses a day. If you sweat and workout then you should of course drink more to replace what you’ve lost. Another way to measure how much you should be drinking is to take your body weight in pounds and multiply that by .55. So for example, I weigh 172lbs x .55 = 95 ounces of water per day. Additionally, don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink, by then you’re already dehydrated and performance will decline.

Why Is Water Important?: First of all, water cleanses the body. You naturally accumulate toxins in your body. High protein diets, which are common among people trying to build muscle, generate urea and ketones, which can reduce the effectiveness of a workout and keep your liver from functioning properly. Water will help flush all of these toxins out of your system. Water can also help you lose weight. If you don’t constantly drink water, then the water that’s already in your body stays there and you begin to look bloated and your metabolism slows down. Drinking more water will increase your metabolism and your body will function better. For optimum results drink cold water, this forces the body to use energy and burn calories in order to warm the water up. Water also helps tone your muscles by giving them their ability to contract, it acts as a lubricant for your joints, and it naturally suppresses your appetite, which forces the body to burn stored fat reserves.

These are only a few benefits from being properly hydrated. Definitely look into it yourself and I’m sure you’ll find that water truly is an important tool in losing weight and having the ideal workout.