The human body is made up of mostly water.  The water in the body has many roles and is important for health and wellbeing. 

The role of water is diverse and includes regulating body temperature and is required for perspiration, carrying nutrients through the body (blood is over 90% water), protects and cushions vital organs, helps the body absorb nutrients and helps remove waste.

So how does this affect exercise? When we do any physical activities whether it is lifting weights or aerobics the body uses energy and a byproduct of this is heat.  The body heats up and compensates through perspiration. This can cause the body to become dehydrated, which leads to fatigue and weakness, muscle cramps, nausea and joint pains.

The body uses water to transport nutrients, it helps to circulate energy and building blocks to the muscles and take away impurities and lactic acid from the system. To exercise at optimal levels it is important to drink water throughout the day and then drink further when undertaking physical activities such as exercise.

How much water is enough?  The general rule for water is 1 Litre of water should be consumed for every 25 Kilograms of body weight. So a 75 Kilogram person should drink roughly 3 Litres of water a day.  On top of this 1 Litre of water should be consumed for every hour of exercise. 

Most people do not have enough water in their diet.  The best way to stay hydrated is to start by drinking one extra glass of water a day and slowly build on top of this until you reach your requirements.  By doing this the body adjusts to the gradual increase in water intake and the task of drinking so much water is less daunting.  Another tip is to carry a large water bottle around and by doing so you will have water readily available and you can also monitor more accurately your water intake.