Drinking enough water is the battle that just doesn't seem to go away. Am I right? Every day, there it is again.
A good rule of thumb is to drink about half your body weight in oz. each day but managing to do so without feeling like you're going to float away halfway through barre can take some planning. Figure out how many ounces your body needs and then space it out throughout the day from the minute you wake up until before falling asleep. Here's why:
1.) You will literally dance better. We're not joking. Proper hydration will keep you as strong and balanced as Sveta. When your body is dehydrated it can lead to weakness, fatigue, and dizziness aka grand plies you really just don't want to come up from, falling out of turns like its your job, and lethargic petite allegro. #NoBueno
2.) Less joint pain. "I don't have any joint pain," said no dancer ever. Drinking water keeps your precious cartilage soft and hydrated. What is cartilage? It's the smooth covering over the ends of bones in a joint. It gets a lot of action throughout class! Cartilage is about 85% water so when you deny it what it wants, it's not happy and wreaks havoc on your dancin' bod.
3.) Glowing Skin. We all want beautiful clear skin but as athletes and artists, at times, it can be hard to maintain a blemish free look (performance makeup + sweat = trouble). Our skin is the largest organ we've got and it wants its share of H2O. When your skin is hydrated, it's able to build new cells properly, flush the bad toxins out and keep its texture and color in check.
4.) Head-to-the-aches. Surprise! Like cartilage, our brains are about 80% water and want their share of the water pie. Not all headaches are caused by a lack of water but some are. Drink enough water to make sure your brain stays on top of learning that 20 minute adagio at the barre.
5.) #hangrymuscles. The only thing worse than you being hangry is when your muscles get hangry. How do you feed your muscles? W-A-T-E-R. Sweating causes muscles to lose their fuel and hydrating well will keep them fed and happy.
Happy Hydrating!
XOXO
