Water is one of the most important elements to humans because it is vital to keep us healthy, hydrated, and, well, alive. More than half of our bodies are made of water and without it we cannot function properly. Most of you reading this are probably avid exercisers because you are aware of the importance of being physically active. Our bodies lose water in a variety of ways including, breathing, sweating, and going to the bathroom. Water loss is a lot higher when we exercise because the body produces a lot of sweat to cool off, which is why those of us who live an active lifestyle need to especially pay attention to how much water we consume.
A good way to measure the amount of water one needs is to take your body weight in pounds, divide that number by two, and then turn the pounds into ounces of water needed per day. Then take that number and add or subtract fifteen ounces which puts a range of where you should fall for daily water consumption depending on activity level, gender, and environmental conditions. For example and 200 pound male would need to drink about 100 ounces, plus or minus 15 ounces of water each day. Men typically need a little bit more than women due to a larger body size, and athletes and people who are physically active need more than the average being.
While just simply drinking water seems like the most explanatory answer to properly hydrating our bodies, it is not the only way to consume water. Lucky for us, there are a lot of healthy food choices that we can eat and at the same time be in taking some water. An article in a magazine called, The Training Edge, provided five great examples of food options that contain water.
- Cantaloupe-90% water
- Eggplant-92% water
- Spinach-92% water
- Watermelon- 92% water
- Yellow Pepper-92% water
Now you can kill two birds with one stone: eating healthy foods with great nutrients to help your body maintain its energy levels throughout the day, and get some hydration along with it.
By, Leiana Swanson