Weekly Tips for Your Peak Fitness and Wellness

This Week's Tip: Stay Hydrated!

Proper hydration is important for good health, weight control, fitness, and overall wellness. Without adequate water, which helps regulate your body temperature and transport nutrients into cells, your organs, muscles, and other tissues would not be able to function. Most healthy adults need to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water or other non-caffeinated beverages every day. However, most people fall far short of meeting that rec.

Here’s a hint to make drinking your fill easier: Get a 32 ounce container (we recommend a clear one so you can see your “goal”), and fill it with water as soon as you wake up. Keep it with you and sip from it throughout the morning. By lunch time, you should need to refill it. Drink early in the day so you won’t be running to the bathroom in the middle of the night! (Speaking of that, it’s hard to get around it, but really the best indicator that you’re getting enough water is if your urine is clear to pale yellow.) Of course, you may need up to another entire bottle if you also exercise during the day. Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water one hour before exercise, another 8 ounces or so every half hour during exercise, and a final 8 ounces after exercise. That goes for cold weather days, too!

Visit Our Fit Tips Archive for More Tips!