What do water and ants have to do with each other? Nothing that I can think of off the top of my head, but they’re both going in this blog post!
This morning, I took my 6:15 class outside for a workout since it was daylight and a nice 60 degrees. We walked on this outdoor trail, integrating light dumbbell exercises like bicep curls, triceps extensions, and lateral raises. We did some body weight lunges and had brought mats out to do some core work. Well, little did we know there were tiny ants everywhere! The ants got on me and one of my class participants and we both received one bite each. Thankfully, it wasn’t a painful bite and neither of us are allergic, but those ants were telling us to get out of their territory! The problem is, they had taken over the entire area. The class seemed to enjoy the outdoors and the workout.
After that, I swam 15 laps. It felt so good to swim again this week and I was afraid that if I didn’t get to it today, I’d miss my chance this week. I have a busy couple of days ahead and I’m not sure it’s going to include swimming.
I also wanted to share this article that came through in my ACE personal training newsletter. I’m a big advocate of drinking water, and I firmly believe everything in this write up. I also read last week that the more water you drink, the more trips to the bathroom you’ll make which helps combat sitting too much. Turns out, sitting too much is the new bad habit that smoking used to be…I’m so happy I have great well water and can just refill my bottles. Saves money and trash, too!
May 5, 2014
Many clients come to us in pursuit of a lean, svelte body. They usually tell us that they have lost weight in the past but one of their biggest complaints is that they were unable to sustain the loss because their hunger got in the way of keeping the pounds off. One of the first questions we ask them: “Do you ever drink a glass of water when you feel hungry?” The brain often confuses thirst for hunger, so it’s common to respond to the brain’s cue by eating and overconsuming calories when you’re actually thirsty. So, the next time you’re hungry, swig some water and those stubborn pounds may be a little easier to shed.
But helping to stave off hunger isn’t the only reason we need to drink more water. Here are some additional compelling reasons to drink up!
1. Flush Toxins and Wastes.
Water helps your kidneys by flushing harmful waste out of the body, including all of the end products of fat metabolism that are the result of body fat loss. How do you know if you’re getting enough to flush out the bad stuff? It’s easy (but not glamorous!) to make sure your properly hydrated: check the color of your urine. You want it to be clear, pale and odor-free; if it can pass for apple juice, that’s your cue to down a few glasses of water! [Mandy’s note: As gross as this sounds, it works! A couple of weeks back, I had a stomach virus and my urine was not looking good at all. I knew I had dehydration issues going on and was so happy to see it back to normal.]
2. Boost Your Energy in the Morning and All Day Long.
Your body is about 60 percent water and every process in the body requires water, including digestion, circulation, nutrient transport and body-temperature maintenance. If you don’t get enough water, the body can’t function at its peak and even little movements like getting out of bed will feel like more of a struggle.
3. Work Out Harder and Longer.
Even when you’re only slightly dehydrated (as most Americans typically are!), performance is impaired. Your training sessions suffer, you tire sooner and can’t work as hard. Water carries oxygen throughout the body and to the working muscles, so without oxygen, you better believe your workout takes a hit. Water also:
-lubricates the joints
-moistens the lungs to facilitate breathing
-helps maintain proper muscle tone
Drink 17 to 20 ounces about two hours before exercise and continue drinking 4 to 8 ounces regularly every 15 minutes during exercise.
4. Get Glowing Skin.
When you’re dehydrated, your skin looks dry and withered. Consume enough water and it helps to fill the spaces between your cells, making your skin look plump, youthful and glowing. Water also helps to keep skin from sagging after weight loss.
5. Prevent Constipation.
Water and fiber are the magical combination to flush out waste and beat the bloat! If you don’t drink enough water, your body pulls water from stools to maintain hydration. The result? Discomfort, bloating, constipation…it may also make you feel less inclined to slip into a swimsuit—or even exercise for that matter!
6. Lose Weight.
For the best success, drink plenty of water and eat an abundance of water-rich foods, which are much more satisfying than a processed-food diet that’s loaded with calories. The real weight-loss kicker is when you replace caloric beverages with water!
7. Be Happier.
Who isn’t happier when they feel satisfied and svelte, super energetic, leaner, lighter and constipation-free, have gorgeous skin and are having fabulous workouts to boot?
One last note…I actually got LOTS done this weekend on my to-do list from last week including:
- washing newborn clothes
- hanging up tons of wall decorations in the house
- make sure breast pump still works
- spot read Babywise book
- clean up car seat (still have to assemble it)
- sort & organize my clothes
Because Nice Matters 