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We cannot survive without this amazing liquid. If you think about it our bodies are two thirds water so without it our body would not be able to function properly. It is essential for practically every bodily process from energy metabolism to digestion and muscle contraction. It is important that everyone tries to take in at least 2 litres of water a day. And if you are an active person who regularly exercises then your water consumption should be more. For every hour of exercise you should aim for 0.5 � 1 litre extra fluid daily. The body dehydrates pretty quickly during exercise, even in cool temperatures. Our bodies lose heat through the process of sweating, which causes the loss of water through the skin. Dehydration also causes a raise in heart rate, increased �stickiness� of the blood and also dulls mental function. During a training sessions, we need to be taking water in before, during and after exercising to keep our bodies hydrated through the whole process of our training session. The power of the importance of water should be at the forefront of your mind in whatever exercise you plan to do. Prevention is better than cure, as they say. Don�t attempt to exercise unless you are completely hydrated. If you are going to do a morning workout start to take on water from waking up. For a lunchtime session drink water throughout the morning and drink all day if you are having an evening workout. Whatever type of exercise you will be doing always take a water bottle with you, whether it�s a run or cycle ride or even an aerobics or gym class. Always drink water before and during your workout but after your workout you may want to drink a solution of one part unsweetened fruit juice to three parts water. You could add also a pinch of sea salt to replace lost minerals. This is the ideal rehydration drink after exercise. This is known as a �hypotonic� drink. Hypotonic means that the drink is more concentrated than your body�s fluids and must be diluted before it can be absorbed. An �isotonic� drink, on the other hand, is a drink that is in balance with your body�s natural fluids. These drinks, while pleasant to drink, will not help to rehydrate your body after exercise as well as a hypotonic drink will. I hope that I have drawn your attention to the importance of water. It is a fascinating subject and one that I could go on about all day but I wouldn't want you to get bored so I'll shut up.