You might remember that I discovered a new love exactly one summer ago. No, it wasn’t a man. It was kickboxing.
One of my single mom friends had been pleading with me to try a class at the gym. I wasn’t so sure. I’m not exactly what you’d call coordinated. But after getting lost in a handful of aerobic kickboxing classes (I’d turn left when everyone turned right), I’m hooked. I even spin on Thursdays now, too.
I never thought I’d say this, but I love working out!
There’s just one little challenge, especially with our hot California summer in full swing now: hydration.
Yes, I drink water during class, but certainly not enough. I try to drink water during the day, too, but often forget. By bedtime, I’m parched.
That’s why I’ve signed up for the Water Way Challenge.
The Waterway what??–
The challenge is to drink eight glasses of water a day. Why
“The effects of even a two to five percent loss of water can lead to dry, damaged and wrinkled skin, not to mention headaches, fatigue and impaired physical performance,” according to German dermatologist Dr. Joachim Fluhr.
Impaired physical performance? I assume he’s talking about the gym here, and not… Well, you know.
Seriously, I’d love to know: How much water do you drink every day?
To help encourage discussion about hydration, I will be offering a fun giveaway of $50 to one lucky reader each day that I post about this challenge (four opportunities in all).
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To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment by 07/1 (Wednesday) at 8PM EST and tell me: how many glasses of water you are drinking a day?
Moreover, you can also have a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card in this chit chat about hydration here.
(Please note that this post has been sponsored by Crystal Light. I am working with this company to share this message about hydration and giving others access to clean water through this sponsorship.)
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I know I’m guilty of not drinking as much water as I should. Like you, I live in a place where we need extra hydration – Colorado – so I should be better about it. I have read that any non-alcoholic beverage you consume – including coffee DOES count toward your 8 glasses so I guess I come close but I still don’t feel as “pure” unless it’s plain ol’ water. I’ve been trying to be better lately so I’m up to the challenge w/you.
I have 2 750ml cooler bottles that I fill up every morning and take to work with me, both are gone by 5pm. (lets just say thank heavens the bathroom is NOT far away from my oofice! LOL)
At home I’m not a pop/juice drinker so water with dinner, water during the evening, water during littleman’s football pracice when I walk the track, water on my nighttable….yep, I drink a LOT of water! But I discovered during my weightloss journet a few years ago that not only did it do wonders for my skin, but it did wonders in aiding my weightloss and cleansing out my system in general!
littlemansmom´s last blog post…Tell me about it…
When I was young, I would compete in figure contests and in preparing for a show, would have to drink a gallon of water a day. Other than starving, I felt the best I had ever felt. My face and hair were so healthy looking. I know the importance so very well and yet, I have a hard time choking it down. Unless I am parched, I hate water. So I am on bored even if I have to disguise it with crystal light!
Danielle´s last blog post…Meme and much much more
When I was young, I would compete in figure contests and in preparing for a show, would have to drink a gallon of water a day. Other than starving, I felt the best I had ever felt. My face and hair were so healthy looking. I know the importance so very well and yet, I have a hard time choking it down. Unless I am parched, I hate water. So I am on bored even if I have to disguise it with crystal light!
Danielle´s last blog post…Meme and much much more
I drink *well* over a gallon of water a day…probably more in the neighborhood of two. But then, I live in Phoenix, where we are over 100 degrees every day for probably six months out of the year. If you don’t drink enough, you *will* pass out or something!
I know I don’t drink enough water for living in a dry area and working out everyday. I try to have a glass next to the fridge and I probably get in about 4 glasses each day. Need to challenge myself to get in even more.
Sorry Crystal Light, but the 8 cups of water a day is an old wives tale and not backed by any science. The average person gets plenty of water through food and other types of drinks. If you start drinking too much water, you are at risk for hyponatremia which can be very dangerous.
I probably do drink 8 cups of water a day, but I do a lot of running and I try not to drink soda.
That’s probably not a prize winning entry…
I probably come close to the 64oz a day and I do use Crystal Light to make it easier to drink!
) But I seem to concentrate it all at night instead of throughout the day. I tend to get too busy or only drink coffee at the office. When I’m vigilant about it, I feel better and I do notice a difference in my skin.
Kim´s last blog post…Princess of Spin
I have set a goal to refill my 24 oz water bottle at work twice a day. I try to drink one full bottle in the morning and the a second full bottle in the afternoon and then I try and drink at least 2 glasses at home in the evening. I also always drink a glass of water before I will allow myself to have a cup of coffee. I don’t always meet these goals especially on a bad day but for the most part it works for me.
I am sporadic… sometimes I drink close to a gallon of water a day, other days 1 glass, some days I forget, and some days I make my 8 glasses.
Lately its I forgot and drink my cup of coffee and forget the rest of the day to drink at all, until I get a bad headache at bed time.
Not good, not good at all.
I might join that challange… off to read about it.
Kari´s last blog post…Looking for a new rental…
I drink water with lunch and dinner and in between if I get thirsty definitely water. Water w/ a slice of lemon
As a runner in ‘Hotlanta’, I drink a ton of water. It’s as important to drink throughout the day, before you work out as it is during and after. Start off fully hydrated, and you’ll have a much better work out! If I run dehydrated, I can see a 15-30 second per mile difference in my performance; pretty noticeable.
I always have a big 24 oz glass of water before bed…probably not the smartest as I usually get up 1-2x at night to pee. But I love to brush my teeth and then follow it by a huge glass of water. If I stopped buying Diet Coke I know I would consume more water.
Phil: Do tell more… how is the 8 glasses a day an old wives tale?
I’m super-prone to cavities, so drinking a lot of juice just doesn’t work for me.
I had thought that you had to drink TONS of water to get hyponatremia??
I don’t drink NEARLY enough water. (Why can’t water be coffee-flavored?) But this post and the article have shamed me into chugging a half-liter bottle just now.
Juggle Jane´s last blog post…Where My Maids At?!
To help remind me to drink water, I keep a gallon of it on the counter. And then I mark the gallon each time I fill my glass to see what time I’ve drank water, and how low it gets. Seeing it there all day is really a motivator, and you’ve just motivated me to go get a glass! THANKS!
Manic Mommy´s last blog post…FRee BooKS: THe DiVoRCe PaRTY, THe oPPoSiTe oF LoVe, aND MoRe!
I have a huge 64oz lime green water bottle (the kind with a straw) that i take with me everywhere. No, really, everywhere, It embarrasses my friends. And leaks all over, but that’s another subject. I get dehydrated easily, but now that i’m pregnant if i go 10 minutes without water my brain gets ready to shut down. I sip those throughout the day, usually go through about two, sometimes with or instead, some big tumblers of water too. I don’t really keep track of the amount, but it’s a lot! That’s one health thing that I do alright with.
Now if there was a post about exercise or eating my vegetables, I wouldn’t be so proud.. hehe.
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Good for you since it does make a difference. It does need to be pure water since plain water is absorbed in your stomach and mixed water is absorbed in your intestines. I drink more than I use to, but still not enough.
I drink less than two glasses of water a day, and I’ve got the kidney stones to prove it. (I am working on drinking more, but running to the bathroom every minute during the day is not convenient!) I drink a bottle of water every night before bed and keep another on my nightstand, and I really am working on increasing it!
BTW kickboxing used to be my all-time favorite form of exercise until my gym discontinued the class. So now it’s a boot camp, yoga, and pilates.
Ugh, this is something I need to work on!! I drank more than 8 glasses a day while pregnant, but since then…it’s probably more like 3. This is a good reminder!!
Janet´s last blog post…Wasn’t it more fun when "Love Connection" was a TV show and not my actual life? And also, I may have bad dating karma now.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
You don’t have to drink tons of water…you do need to keep your sodium in balance. If you aren’t exercising and aren’t going crazy with the water, you’ll probably be fine. Don’t try and force yourself to drink extra water.
Thank you Phil. You only need to replace the water you lose every day which is typically done with food intake with a balanced diet. If you over exert you may need to supplement with more water (or food) Except alcohol, which dehydrates, all liquids now count including caffeine such as coffee and tea. New studies show caffeine does not dehydrate.
My research aligns the 8 a day push with the surge of bottled water, naking this 8 a day nothing more than a marketing tool to sell.
That being said I cannot count how many glasses of water I drink in a day. In a 30 day day month I am luck if I get 10 glasses in and that is in a heavy month of water drinking.
I don’t drink enough – maybe 2 or 3 glasses a day. I live in Seattle though. Does it count if I just stand in the rain a lot?
Martini Mom´s last blog post…Cue the violins
I remember when I was pregnant with my son. The doctor told me to drink more water and I almost fell off the table laughing because I thought I was already drinking plenty. Imagine my shock when I started walking around like a camel with a constantly filled cup and actually had more energy!! So now I am a convert. I take a 32-oz glass of ice water in the car on the way to work and another on the way home. I also fill one up first thing in the morning and again throughout the day at my desk. If I don’t fill it up first thing, I’ll forget. It’s gotten to where it’s mindless and I will be out of water before I’ve even realized I’ve done so. The ice helps make it more palatable. Lemon, orange slices, and lime helped early on when I was getting used to more water. Now I don’t even need that stuff. Try it – you will be shocked at how much better you feel.
PT-LawMom´s last blog post…What I’m Not Posting
Well I am glad to find out that my glasses of juice and tea during the day count towards my eight glasses of water. And this is something I have been striving to do… drink more water… but I haven’t made it to eight glasses a day yet… by far. My glass of milk in the morning, one 16 ounce water battle during the work day, and a glass of juice at dinner, fail sadly to get even close. Oh well… I will continue to try to add more water… and more water…
Katherine SOLOdotmom´s last blog post…The Weekend was Full, Harmonious, and Peaceful?
I’ve actually switched coffee out with water in the past month. At first, the caffein withdrawal nearly sent me over the edge. But now I feel SO much better & drink water throughout the day.
*Note on hyponatremia – It’s VERY rare and not so much about the quantity of water, but about the space of time in which you drink it. Just don’t down your entire 8 glasses at once and you’ll be fine.
So today, am making a conscious effort to get more liquids. Just made a pitcher of Crystal Lite Orange-Pineapple and it’s almost gone! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this flavor. Have also drank some regular glasses of water too! Thanks for the motivation!
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Water on its own? Naked? Bare? YUCK.
Oh. Oops. Did I write that ‘out loud’?
I drink plain water when I’m out and about, being active, working out. Otherwise, my liquid of choice is juice, tea, milk, or coffee. Which counts.
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I drink about 3 bottles a day, if I don’t drink water, I get terrible headaches, and don’t feel well overall. I love Water!
I used to be so much better at drinking water when I worked an office job and was able to sit and sip at it all day long. Being at home with my girls for 5 years, it was one of those things that seemed to fall by the wayside. I’m hoping to get back on track with it again.
Right now I’d say I’m only getting about 2-3 glasses of water per day – which clearly isn’t enough!!
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