What comes to mind when you think about water?

For that matter what comes to mind when you think about thirst? Water or H2O can be considered the second most important nutrient your body requires next to the oxygen of course. The daily recommended intake for water is about half of your body weight in ounces. So that means if you weigh 120 lbs. you should be drinking at least 60 oz of water. You must keep in mind that this does not include if its a really hot day out. That increases your rate of respiration, which means your body is losing more water than normal.

If you become thirsty this essentially means that you are already on your way to dehydration. It is better to just try and stay ahead of it. In case you were wondering or thinking in your head “oh but I drink coffee”, or “I like to add a little Mio or crystal light in my water” these are now no longer just straight water. Coffee will actually make you more dehydrated and a lot of other drink mixes are mostly just sugar. I do have an analogy I most use with my clients and people that are just generally curious.

Think of water as the oil for your muscles

Let me explain. I had a friend in high school who didn’t put oil in two of his cars. Do you know what happened? You guessed it the engine ceased and the car stopped working because there was no lubricant for the engine parts to move fluidly.

The same holds true with your body, your muscles create friction as they move and in turn heat. When you are dehydrated there is no “lubricant” in the muscles to help the tissue layers move smoothly. This can be seen physically through muscle cramps or spasms and can create adhesions ( tissue sticking to other tissue). None of which are fun by any means, we’ve all experienced that late night toe cramp or calf cramp.

Start small, if you are not typically a heavy water drinker then it’s probably unlikely that you will jump right into to drinking 60 oz plus a day. So ease your way into it, maybe start with a few 16 oz bottles and add a little bit more each week until you’ve reached at least a minimum. Drinking more water can help your digestion, metabolism, and even help you shed a few unwanted pounds. So drink water as if your life depended on it because well, it does.