One of the most under rated fitness tips ever in my opinion is stay hydrated.
We are almost all guilty of it. We obsess over our training plans, diet, cheat meals, how many coffees we drink a day, how many units of alcohol we drink yet we frequently ignore our hydration levels.
I used to do this – I could tell you how many calories I’d consumed and burnt but it barely registered that not even a sip of water had passed my lips all day (unless you count 400 coffees and several glass of wine). Then someone pointed out how important water is, for instance being well hydrated can:
- Increase energy and relieve fatigue (it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert)
- Assist with achieving your body goals (fat loss for instance) – especially as we often mistake thirst for hunger
- Help flush out toxins
- Help improve your complexion
- Aid digestion
- Boost the immune system
- Reduce some types of headaches (where commonly caused by dehydration)
- Prevent / reduce the likeliness of cramps & sprains
- Improve your mood / general feeling of well being
- Save you money – the cheapest drink there is!
I found that, whilst I didn’t really notice many differences when I started to drink enough water, I DID notice that when I then drank less water I felt it! If I’ve had a day where I drink less I feel lethargic, grumpy and hungry for salty foods.
So how much should you drink?
Ideally between 30-35 ml per kg of body weight
PLUS and additional 500 ml for every hour of exercise you do.
Example – I weigh 80kg and do on average 2 hours of training a day so I try and drink 3,400 ml – 3,800 ml (3.4-3.8 litres) a day
One word of warning: You will go to the toilet A LOT when you first start drinking more water – maybe not something to coincide with a long road trip!
Heather Sherwood Fitness 