Whether you’re staying healthy during lockdown with some home-based exercise or taking your workout outdoors, staying hydrated before, during and after your workout will be a top priority. But before you reach for the energy drink, you may want to read the following blog post.

Unbeknown to most, water is the best energy drink you can have. Drinking water on a regular basis has a positive effect on your vitality – providing all you need to complete your physical or even mental workout. Here we reveal more about how water and vitality are so closely linked.

Does water really give you energy for exercise?

Without water your body simply cannot function, but this underrated beverage does so much more than the vital internal work it’s known for.

As you lose a lot of fluid during exercise – through breathing and sweating – replenishing your stores is integral to health and performance.

We’ll let Bupa explain more about the importance of drinking water during exercise:

“If you don’t top this fluid back up, you can get dehydrated. This can affect both your general health and how well you can exercise.

You’ll feel tired more quickly if you’re dehydrated, and you won’t be able to control your temperature as well as usual. Water helps fuel your muscles, so drinking before, during and after exercise will boost your energy levels, and may help to prevent cramp.”

Without water as your energy drink during exercise, your body will have to work much harder to function and regulate your temperature. But it’s not just during exercise where the energising effects of water will help…

How does drinking water affect brain function?

A mental workout is just as taxing as a physical one, but with proper hydration, you can give your brain what it requires to function at its best.

Even mild dehydration impairs brain function. By drinking less water, you also put yourself at increased risk of headaches, mood swings, concentration problems, and memory issues. This study found that a fluid loss of just 1.4% can have a negative impact on brain function and wider body health.

How does hydration help during the everyday?

You don’t have to be a gym bunny or a boffin to realise the benefits of better hydration. Drinking water regularly will leave you feeling more energised from day-to-day, leaving you able to take on your usual activities without the risk of fatigue.

The performance of any activity that takes longer than 30 seconds can be impacted by dehydration, this includes working out, climbing the stairs or walking the dog.

Make everyday life easier by drinking the recommended 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.

In addition to this, drinking water is the key to a better night’s sleep, so be sure to stay hydrated to catch those Zs and feel even more energised come morning.

What else can I do to boost my energy levels?

Alongside drinking water regularly, there are a number of quick tasks you can do to give your energy levels the boost they need.

Eating regularly is just as important as drinking water frequently. Early in the day is one of the best times to drink water and eat a hearty meal.

That’s right, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and will leave you feeling less fatigued as the day wears on.

Snacking on nuts in between meals will provide essential magnesium and folate, two nutrients that are vital for energy and cell production.

Doing a quick yoga workout – or any activity that involves deep breathing and meditation – will also boost energy levels. Any exercise is a guaranteed fatigue fighter.

Better yet, all it takes is 10 minutes of exercise to get your blood pumping and energy levels soaring.