Water Is Good

With all the specialty waters and sports drinks for fitness, many people have forgotten the benefits of plain water. Remember that all these drinks contain water. It is an essential element in a good workout, whether it is taken alone or with some specific additives. Water itself is beneficial in many ways.

1. Water cools the body. Water is very effective in carrying away the heat that is generated when you do fitness exercises. If the body is not cooled, organ damage can result. That is one reason people take fever reducers when they are sick: they do not want the excess heat to damage their bodies. Water is an effective fitness cooling agent as you sweat out liters of it and it cools on your skin.

2. Water carries away impurities. The kidneys use water to flush away impurities in the body. Without enough water, those impurities stay inside the body where they can disrupt healthy functioning. When the kidneys flush away the impurities, the body cleanses itself as you do your fitness workout. By the way, drinking too little water can lead to kidney stones as well.

3. Water thins the blood. If you do not drink enough water, your blood becomes much too thick. The problem with thick blood is that it makes your heart work much harder. That is not a situation you want during a fitness workout. It is better to drink enough water and make it easy on your heart.

4. Water is perfect hydration for one hour or less of fitness exercise. In that amount of time, you will be able to use water to fulfill all your fluid needs and keep your body running at peak condition. However, if you are working out for longer periods, up to three hours or more, you will need water drinks with carbohydrates and salt added. Even with this solution, though, the water is still the base ingredient.

5. As you lose water weight, your physical fitness performance will decline at a rate of about 10 percent with every 2 percent loss of water weight. If fitness is your goal, you are defeating your purpose if you do not keep yourself hydrated with water or water-based drinks. Your workout will do you more harm than good, and you will feel worse when you finish. Drink that water to feel and be at your best.

6. Without enough water, you become lethargic. When your brain and body suffer from lack of proper hydration, your mind begins to be sluggish. You may feel sleepy or out of sorts. It is hard to carry on a fitness program with these physical and emotional feelings.