Just in case you never received basic science education.
Okay, so water is really, really, important to your well-being aside from your survival. You get that. Maybe you've even experienced moderate dehydration from a nasty hangover and you already get the point. But here's the thing: most people don't drink enough water and as a result are dehydrated without even knowing it.
Sure, you can get through your day just fine being a little dehydrated. But it's simply suboptimal. Being a tiny bit dehydrated is almost undetectable in terms of thirst, but mood and energy will usually suffer, and it would even be obvious that your symptoms will be from dehydration. It will usually feel like you're having a crappy day. It is a really good idea to keep a water bottle with you most of the time to make it easier to stay hydrated. I carry around a metal bottle with a cap that pops open with the push of a button; some people prefer Nalgenes (or, you could get the best of both worlds).
I'm not a fan of disposable water bottles. Sure, there's the whole wasteful aspect of it (I'm no hippie but it's appalling), but bottled water is stupidly expensive. I never buy bottled water. Unless you're a water snob (you'd better not be buying the stuff from the municipal supply), I suggest you drink tap water (you can filter it if you want). However, if the thought of drinking tap is just too much for you to handle, do yourself a favor and get tea (green tea is good) or something else instead-- at least you won't be ripped off.
I'm not a fan of disposable water bottles. Sure, there's the whole wasteful aspect of it (I'm no hippie but it's appalling), but bottled water is stupidly expensive. I never buy bottled water. Unless you're a water snob (you'd better not be buying the stuff from the municipal supply), I suggest you drink tap water (you can filter it if you want). However, if the thought of drinking tap is just too much for you to handle, do yourself a favor and get tea (green tea is good) or something else instead-- at least you won't be ripped off.
I don't always buy bottled drinks, but when I do...
Exercise is great because it makes you much more aware of otherwise undetectable levels of dehydration. You often end up drinking more water than you sweat and breathe out, which is a contributing factor to exercise making you feel better.
However, there's another side to this that I have experienced all too often: sometimes I'll drag myself to the gym feeling lethargic and tired, even if I am relatively well-rested and well-sustained by food, and it's mostly a mystery as to why I feel so incredibly weak; it's a physical state as well as a mental one that I just can't work though. Perhaps you have experienced it too, and as you may have already guessed, this is another case of mild dehydration. Remember, thirst is not the only symptom of dehydration.
Drink your hypotonic fluids, people; you'll be glad you did.
However, there's another side to this that I have experienced all too often: sometimes I'll drag myself to the gym feeling lethargic and tired, even if I am relatively well-rested and well-sustained by food, and it's mostly a mystery as to why I feel so incredibly weak; it's a physical state as well as a mental one that I just can't work though. Perhaps you have experienced it too, and as you may have already guessed, this is another case of mild dehydration. Remember, thirst is not the only symptom of dehydration.
Drink your hypotonic fluids, people; you'll be glad you did.
