Drink Plenty of Water. I’ve heard that all my life. And while I‘ve always known that I need water, I’ve never paid much attention to how much to drink. I figured that I would drink water (or some water-bearing beverage) when I was thirsty. Wrong!

Our ever-continuing research on health and fitness not only reinforces the amazing benefits of our 20 Minutes To Fitness slow cadence strength training, it also broadens our ability to provide a wider range of health-related information to our Clients. We attempt to do that with information available at our studio, on our web site, in our articles, and in these newsletters. This Newsletter is about the importance of drinking plenty of water. This important topic will also be the subject of an upcoming article in Attitudes magazine.

Recently, Virginia was beating me up again about the "water thing". This time she had a ton of research on her side. Here is what I have learned (as I sit here with a bottle of water by my side):

• Water, like strength training, slows down and can even prevent some of the debilitating effects of the aging process (which starts as early as our late 20s). Research shows that inadequate water consumption can often lead to clinical dehydration which is the most common cause of hospitalization for people over 65.
• Water is essential for effective exercise and weight loss. While the traditional rule of thumb is eight, 8-ounce glasses a day, research shows that those who exercise regularly and drink more water tend to lose the most weight. Not only can water reduce the hunger pains, it carries away the fat-related impurities generated by exercise, literally "washing away the pounds".
• You cannot rely on just being thirsty. There goes that argument. While the aging process dulls our "thirst meter", it is not even a reliable warning system at any age. Dry mouth can be the last sign of dehydration.
• We should only drink pure water. As to the water in tea, juice, soft drinks, coffee, beer, or cocktails - it doesn’t count. There goes another argument! In fact, when water is diluted with any other substance, the proper hydration (absorption into the body cells) is impaired. Whereas, pure water is hydrated properly and delivered to those body cells that need the water the most.
• While it seems somewhat illogical, drinking too little water causes (forces) the body to accumulate water outside of the cells, therefore retaining excess water and causing "edema" - the swelling of the hands, legs and feet. When the body gets the water it needs, it will release the excess.
• As you increase your water intake, don’t worry about the increased "pit stops". Your body will adjust and your stops will become less frequent.
• The other benefits for increased water intake include improved complexion, reduced fatigue and stress, as well as the reduced risk of a number of other serious health issues such as: asthma, high blood pressure, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and low back pain.
• While you can drink too much water, it is a rare medical problem. Those people suffering from kidney problems or who are taking diuretics should talk to their health care provider before changing their water intake habit.

My primary resource for this topic was Ellington Darden’s book, Body Defining, published by Contemporary Books (1996).