Water is crucial to your wellness. Water, which makes up as much as 75 percent of your body, is essential for maintaining proper brain and body function and digestion. Exercise can cause fluid loss and dehydration, which are detrimental to your health. Hydrate yourself with water earlier, during, and then after your workout to help aid in the elimination of waste products from the body. Here are the most beneficial times of day to hydrate:

1. First thing in the morning
Drink a glass of water first thing every morning to ease into the day. Evidence shows that starting the day with a glass of water can help people stick to wholesome hydration behaviors and consume more fluids overall. Strengthening your mood, cognitive performance, and activity levels may be doubling your daily water intake if you’re dehydrated. Mellow dehydration has been shown to negatively affect memory, ability to focus, anxiousness, and exhaustion.

2. Before every meal
If you’re watching your weight, a smart move would be to have a glass of water before each meal. Doing so can increase satiety and lead to less food consumption at the meal in question. One study in 24 older adults discovered that relative to controls, those who drank 16.9 ounces (500 mL) of water 30 minutes before meal devoured 13% fewer calories overall. Older adults who drank between 12.5 and 16.9 ounces (300 and 500 mL) of water before meals reported reduced deprivation and calorie consumption.

3. Before you exercise
Working out causes sweat, diluting your body’s deionized water and water balance. Staying hydrated before workout can help regenerate fluids lost and keep you feeling good. Losing too much fluid during your gym can throw off your osmolality and negatively affect your effectiveness. To maximize strength and endurance, consuming fluids such as water or an electrolyte drink immediately following practice is advised.

4. Consistently throughout the day
Throughout the day, your organs work together to maintain a constant level of hydration, with any excess water being eliminated through the lungs, kidneys, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. However, your body can limit how much water it can flush out at once. Headache, fatigue, confusion, coma and seizures are serious side effects of drinking too much water, leading to a loss of sodium and an imbalance in the body’s fluids. Drinking water throughout the day regularly is preferable to gulping down large quantities simultaneously.

5. Post-workout
Drink plenty of water after your workout. In addition to replacing fluids lost during workout, drinking water post workout can help bring your core temperature back to normal. Drinking plenty of water is crucial to aid your weight loss efforts.

It can be easier to keep up with good habits and drink the recommended amount of water each day if you start with a glass of water. Consuming water before meals has been shown to increase satiety and, in turn, aid in weight loss among the elderly. Water consumption before and post-workout has improved performance and speed recovery. But the single most crucial step to ensure you stay healthy and alert is to drink water regularly throughout the day.