A lot has been said and written about drinking water to keep fit and healthy. But how do you drink water? Does your drinking water schedule benefit your body? If you ask most people, they will tell you that they strictly observe the rule of drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water in a day.

What most people don’t know is when they should drink water for optimum health benefits. For the water to benefit your body, there are the right times when you need to have it. Otherwise, you may never get to enjoy the many health benefits of drinking water. Here are seven best times to drink water.

1.   When You First Get Up In the Morning

When you get up in the morning, you are like a car that is starting from sub-zero temperature. After sleeping for more than six hours uninterrupted, your body needs water more than anything else to start functioning correctly. At this time, you have not eaten anything for hours, and probably, you had a lot of sweating over the night.

What your body needs in the morning is a glass of warm water before you do anything else. The water will not only dehydrate your body but will also help in the removal of toxins. A glass of warm water in the morning also helps to improve circulation and keep you energised for the rest of the day. Avoid guzzling cold water in the morning.

morning routine

2.   Drink Water Before Meal

One mistake that people make is drinking water after a meal. That is something most of us do without knowing it is wrong. To get more health benefits, have a glass of water before any meals. Do you know that taking water after a meal can contribute to weight gain? Well, that’s true. When you are dehydrated, the brain tells the stomach to wait for food. So when you eat, the body will absorb a larger number of calories. That means you might end up adding extra pounds due to overeating.

But when you drink water before a meal, it makes you feel fuller. So you will avoid overeating hence reducing possibilities of gaining weight. In addition, sipping a glass of water 30 minutes before meals will wake up taste buds as well as moisturising stomach lining so that acidic foods will not be uncomfortable. Lastly, drinking water before a meal helps to improve food digestion.

3.   Before and After Working Out

Have you ever notice that most people drink water after a workout? Well, that is the truth. The best time to drink water is before a workout and then after the workout. When you do physical exercises, your body requires a lot of water to replace some of the water lost through sweat. It is also essential to note that your body produces a lot more toxins and waste by-products when you are working out. These substances must be removed from the body.

Among the benefits of drinking water is improving circulation, which is essential for the removal of toxins and other waste by-products in the body. So get well hydrated before a workout to enhance the process of toxin removal. For starters, make sure that you have taken one or two 8-ounces glass of water during and after work out. That will also prevent dehydration and heatstroke.

4.   When You’re Hungry

Make it a habit to drink water whenever if you feel hungry. That’s because sometimes, the hunger feeling may be as a result of dehydration. So by drinking water, you will avoid eating when you don’t really eat food. So if you are feeling hungry in between the meals, don’t rush for a snack but drink a glass of water. That is one of the best ways that you avoid adding unhealthy weight.

hunger

Second, drinking water when you are hungry helps to dehydrate the body hence improving circulation. That’s why a glass of water makes you feel more relaxed. It is, therefore, important to note that drinking water when you are hungry makes you fuller faster, and thus you will take fewer calories.

5.   When Exposed To Germs

There are many places where you can get exposed to germs. For instance, if you visit a hospital, you are more likely to get exposed to germs and viruses. It has been proven that drinking a little more water when in places with higher germs exposure reduces the possibilities of infections.

Water simply works by washing away germs, and virus picked up by your body to keep you healthy. Therefore, the possibility of contraction disease is highly reduced by just taking extra water. It is also essential to note that well-dehydrated body does not allow bacterial and viral invaders to settle in and multiply in your system.

6.   When you are Sick

Another best time to drink water is when you are ill. If you are sick, the body tends to lose a lot of water through sweating and urinating. That is one of the reasons why having a strict drinking water schedule when sick is crucial as it keeps the body hydrated.

Drinking warm water helps the body to improve the metabolism rate processing more energy to heal the sick organs. Therefore, water is very crucial in improving the healing process. Drink at least 8 glasses water (8-ounces) when sick.

7.   When You’re Fatigued

If you are feeling tired and sleepy, but you cannot take a nap, then taking a glass or two of water can make the fatigue disappear. What most people may not know is that fatigue is in most cases a sign of dehydration. When your body is dehydrated, there is less circulation as well as low energy being produced. That is why you feel tired.

fatigue

Once you take a glass of water, metabolism rate starts increasing, more energy is produced, and the body organs start to function normally. That is when the fatigue starts going away.

If you want to drink water in a way that it will help your health and fitness, these the best time to do it. Do not just drink to finish 8 glass of water a day but drink strategically for optimum health benefits.