When you’re looking at getting fit and staying fit, your body needs all the fuel it can get. Much of your body is made up of water, which is why drinking fluids every day is so crucial. According to health authorities, we should all be drinking at least eight glasses of water per day or around two litres, but we’re not. Everyday Australians are walking around in a constant state of dehydration, with average water consumption at about 1.2 litres a day, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

If a little over a litre per day is all you’re consuming without taking into consideration sweat and fluid lost through exercise, then it’s time to make a change. If you take an active approach to water intake, your body will thank you for it.

What Are the Signs of Dehydration?

Many Australians become dehydrated every day, and they don’t even know it. Then, when they go to work out, that dehydration becomes worse.

Signs of dehydration include:

• Feeling overly thirsty
• Having a dry mouth
• Feeling fatigued
• Not urinating frequently
• Yellow urine
• Headaches
• Dizzy spells
• Dry skin

How Do You Increase Your Water Intake?

To increase your water intake, you need to be aware of your body’s requirements at all time. As soon as you get up in the morning, drink a big glass of water. On your way to work, sip at your drink bottle. If you have a desk job, keep a water bottle at your desk and sip at it frequently. You can also download useful phone apps which remind you when to take a drink.

Some water bottles even come with engrained markers. These markers tell you how much water you need to have consumed by certain times of the day. Before long, you’ll notice that those all too common signs of dehydration become a thing of the past.

How Much Water Do You Need During Your Workout?

Water consumption can differ dramatically when you’re looking at staying fit and healthy. While you still need that two litres a day, you need significantly more before, during, and after a fitness session. While that amount can vary depending on your lifestyle and body size, as a rule of thumb, the following water consumption is recommended.

Before you work out: two glasses

During a warm-up session: one glass

While exercising: one glass every 20 minutes

After exercising: one glass within half an hour

That might seem like a lot of water, but if you’re sweating throughout your workout, you’re merely replacing what you already perspired.

Water isn’t a ‘sometimes’ beverage for when the weather’s hot or you’re carrying out a labour-intensive task. Your body needs water every day, and lots of it, to function at its best. Download a water app, invest in a marked water bottle, and consume more water to feel much healthier.