Hey everyone! Let’s talk about hydration! Mainly let’s talk about staying hydrated when you are exercising. I feel like in college it can be very hard to get the proper amount of water daily. Many people suggest about two liters of water a day to avoid dehydration. I try to drink about half my body weight in ounces everyday. Truthfully, this task can be extremely hard for me. When I don’t drink enough water I can always see it when I train. My muscles fatigue so much faster and I am very sluggish throughout the entire workout. Let’s talk a little bit more about why we need to drink water, especially when it comes to fitness.

1. Water helps lubricate the joints: When you are exercising you should always make sure you are protecting your joints. Drinking water is a very simple and easy way to do this.
2. Water carries oxygen to the body: Our muscles need oxygen when we workout in order to properly perform. If you are not drinking enough water this will fatigue your muscles faster.
3. Water regulates body temperature: Most often when you begin to workout your body temperature will rise. Your body naturally cools you down through sweat. If you aren’t drinking enough water then you are unable to do this process.

Now that we have talked about the importance of water, let’s talk about why it is so hard to drink water everyday. I feel like college students have one of the hardest times consuming their daily intake of water. From my own personal experience, I have found I usually take the morning to drink as much coffee as possible. While coffee is surely sent from above, it actually dehydrates you. I know, seriously big bummer right?? While I can’t completely cut out coffee, I do try to wake up and drink as much water before I drink my coffee for the day. This ensures that I at least get a little bit of water in the morning to help wake up my cells. After coffee I will fill up a one liter water bottle. I have found the larger the bottle the more likely I am to drink that amount of water. If I am using a small water bottle then I will drink the water, but I am less likely to go out of my way to fill it back up. Towards the end of the day, before I go to bed, I will try to drink the rest of my water if I haven’t done so well with it during the day.

If water is too boring for you, try adding in fruit like strawberries or lemons to give it a little bit of flavor. No matter what you have to do to drink more, it is just important to make it a conscious effort. Good luck friends and remember STAY HYDRATED!

Birdie