The easy answer is EVERYTHING. Whether your fitness goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, improve flexibility, reduce pain, recover from injury, tone & tighten or improve your recovery process, water is vital to your body’s ability to achieve the desired results. The human body is made up of up to 75% water representing its largest constituent - a reality that puts the need for adequate daily water consumption into perspective. How can anyone expect to improve their health (in one way or another) without prioritizing proper hydration on a daily basis? I believe we should all view water as a powerful tool through which a holistic fitness routine can be established. This is how you achieve sustainable health results!
Aside from understanding water’s role in our body’s physical makeup, I find it essential for all to have a foundational understanding of HOW water plays a significant role in the manifestation of goals you may or may not be working towards. Water is integral to the bodily functions listed below (and more):
Acts as a lubricant, shock absorber, solvent, and building material.
Bodily temperature regulation via sweat production.
Athletic performance via neuromuscular control, accuracy, power, fatigue, strength and muscular endurance.
Muscular development via anabolic & catabolic processes.
Blood pressure regulation.
Proper organ function.
Recovery abilities via toxin removal.
Bodily function proficiency via electrolyte management.
Every bodily function listed plays a major role in your ability to achieve and sustain health & fitness results. It is my belief that consistent water consumption and body hydration are the first steps towards achieving health & fitness based results. Water not only places your body in the best position to succeed in whatever is required of it, but water also makes whatever you are doing easier - literally. Proper hydration also has the ability to decrease injury risk and expedite natural recovery processes. A large part of holistic fitness is learning, understanding, and applying practices that promote healthy body function in your spiritual, mental, and physical self - water is unique in its ability to cater to all 3 in very complex ways.
For those who believe that they “don’t like water”, I ask you - Do you like a healthy body, fitness results, and reduced physical pain more than you dislike water? To be clear, I am not saying nor am I suggesting that you go from drinking 1 bottle of water per day (for example) to 10 bottles. What I am saying is that you would greatly benefit from setting the daily intention to drink 8 - 12oz cups of water (96oz of water total). You might wonder how this is possible, especially if you don’t like water. Below are some tips for success that I share with my clients…
Drink a 12oz cup of water as soon as you wake up (place a glass of water at your bedside every night).
Drink 12oz of water every 2 hours (6 cups in 12 hours).
Drink 12oz of water with dinner.
Start improving your holistic health today, every cup of water counts!
~ Coach Tae
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