Hydration is Key: Tips for Getting Enough Water

Overall, our bodies are about 60 percent water. Nearly every system in your body depends on water. Water helps to:

• Deliver nutrients to cells
• Moisten tissues
• Prevent constipation
• Regulate body temperature

…and more. If you want to feel—and perform—your best, you need to be hydrating enough.

How Much Water Should You Drink in a Day?

Surprisingly, there are no hard and fast rules for drinking enough water; or rather, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. One helpful guideline is drinking half your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for at least 75 ounces of water a day.

Another guideline is eight glasses a day. That works out to 64 ounces per day. That may sound a little low, but remember: There is water naturally occurring in your fruits and vegetables after digestion. Make sure they are incorporated into your daily diet, both to keep hydrated and for their many other health benefits.

How to Drink More Water

Plain old H2O is your best bet for hydration. Sugary sports drinks can give you a little burst of energy, but that is often followed by a sugar crash. Athletes need CONSISTENT energy levels—no sugar crashing!

If you don’t love plain water, try an infusing water bottle. These bottles have a hollow center receptacle that you can pack with some fresh fruit, mint leaves, cucumber or anything else you can think of. It’s a great compromise between flavor and nutrition.

If you are playing a sport or training for extended periods of time, or if you’re outside in the heat, try including a low-sugar sports beverage like Smart Water, Vitamin Water, Amped Hydrate or G2. These products contain electrolytes such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.

These essential minerals are lost through sweat, so replenishing them during longer training sessions or when you are training outside in the hot sun will keep you going longer.

Getting More Performance Tips

UOA Sports Performance & Wellness Center is open to the public. We provide a variety of fitness and wellness services including one-on-one personal training, partner training, small group training and unlimited group training. We also offer body composition scans, which gives you a great way to track progress as you decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass.

If you would like more information about our training and nutrition services, please call our Sports Performance & Wellness Center at 732-851-1499.