Water: Are YOU Drinking
YOUR share?

  You Can’t Live Without It

You bathe with it.  You clean with it.  You swim in it.  You drink it (or at least you should be).  Water is the life force by which everything in nature lives.  Without water plants and trees whither and die.  Without water animals and humans start to have problems with certain organs.  Why, for the most part, do we neglect the topic of water?  That is a great question.  Following is a short list of facts about water and benefits that all of you can immediately start experiencing as soon as you enter your kitchen pull out a glass and turn your tap on.

Why should you be drinking 8 glasses (64–80 ounces) of water a day?  Your body, which is made up of between 55 and 75 percent water (people with less body fat have more water in their bodies because muscle holds more water than fat), is in need of constant water replenishment.  Almost every cell in your body needs water to function properly at optimum levels.  Just by normal breathing you expel between two and four cups (16-32 ounces) of water each day.  Each trip to the bathroom is at least one cup (8 ounces) eliminated.  If you sweat, you expel about two cups of water (this does not include sweating from exercise).

What will happen if I don’t drink water?

            You will be much more likely to be constipated.

            You will be much more likely to experience achy joints.

            You will have a higher chance of producing kidney stones.

            You will allow colds and flu to linger in your body longer.

Even though you would have to lose 10 percent of your body weight to be considered clinically dehydrated, as little as a two percent loss can cause tiredness, dull critical thinking abilities, and affect athletic performance.

How do you know if you are drinking enough water?  Look at your urine; if it is clear or pale yellow, you are well hydrated.  If your urine is bright yellow or gold, you need to drink more water.

What if I would rather have juice, milk, or pop?  All of these drinks will quench your ‘thirst’ but none of them will actually benefit the proper functioning of your body.  In fact, many of them contain empty calories and are loaded with unnecessary salt and sugar.  Nothing is a substitute for drinking water.  So, grab a glass walk to your kitchen and drink up!

About the Author:

Brad Nelson is a Minneapolis/St. Paul based strength and conditioning coach and a certified kettlebell instructor. Brad is unwavering about getting you results through private or team training. For additional information or to witness a demonstration on how and why kettlebells are the single most effective tool for increasing strength, burning fat, general conditioning and teaching movement visit www.mtxeconditioning.com or contact brad@mtxeconditioning.com.