Drinking water is important, no matter your fitness level or how often you exercise. Water is essential to daily organ function, energy levels, digestion, and so much more. However, your water intake takes on an even bigger role in your health when you’re working out, according to Eugene Pallisco and other fitness professionals.
Most people think of fitness as a relationship between food intake and exercise, but how much water you drink is also a crucial piece of the puzzle. Let’s take a closer look at why hydration is important for achieving your fitness goals and how to make sure you’re hydrating properly.
Why Is Proper Hydration Important?
When you’re working out, your body temperature is becoming elevated, and your cardiovascular system is being put to work. Your body will need extra water during and after your sweat sessions to return to a healthy body temperature and resting heart rate.
Speaking of sweat, your body gets rid of a lot of its water during workouts through perspiration. Drinking extra water helps replenish the lost fluids, which is why hydration is crucial after intense cardio workouts.
How much water you drink can also greatly affect how quickly you recover from your workouts. With better hydration, you’ll recover faster between training sessions and be able to bring as much energy as possible to every workout.
Moreover, staying hydrated can help with hunger cues and cravings throughout the day. This makes it easier to stick to a diet plan that complements your fitness goals.
How to Tell if You Need Water
Most people wait until they feel thirsty to drink water, but several other signs to look out for can point to dehydration. Some common symptoms include:
- Muscular cramps
- Headaches
- Dry lips or nose
- Dark urine
If you notice any of these signs, make a point of increasing your water intake. Wait until your symptoms have passed to resume or start any physical activity. If you’re experiencing signs of dehydration on a regular basis, it’s time to focus on upping your water intake. Keep plenty of water bottles on hand, or invest in a reusable bottle that you like.
How Much Water Is Enough?
You get it — drinking enough water is important for your overall health and wellness goals. But what does that actually mean? A good rule of thumb is to base your water intake on your weight, especially if you’re active.
Start by dividing your body weight in pounds by half. Then, aim for that many ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should aim for 90 ounces of water daily.
Stay Hydrated to Reach Your Fitness Goals
As you can see, drinking your water is a big part of reaching and maintaining your health goals. Ensure you don’t leave out water intake when planning your daily healthy habits.
Fitness expert and licensed trainer Eugene Pallisco works in Dallas, Texas. Pallisco is dedicated to assisting people in discovering joy and freedom in the movement of their bodies, whether through high-intensity or long-distance cardio, weightlifting, or sports training. He believes that everyone can change their body into a strong, healthy physique with the appropriate mindset, patience, and effort.
About Eugene Pallisco
Fitness expert and licensed trainer Eugene Pallisco works in Dallas, Texas. Since he began working with motivational fitness mentors in high school, Eugene has devoted a significant amount of time to sculpting and molding his training philosophy, which is centered on improving others. Before starting his private training firm in the fitness industry, he gained more expertise by working one-on-one with gym patrons after beginning as a group fitness teacher.
