What’s the best thing to drink before, during, and after a good workout? A cup of coffee? A can of your favorite soft drink? Or any sports drink for that matter? The answer, my friend, is plain water.

Experts say drinking water is good when you’re exercising since it combats dehydration and replaces vital fluids that are lost during the process.

“We can’t overstate the importance of guzzling water, particularly if you exercise. Even a tiny water deficit can radically affect how your body performs. When you don’t drink enough, your blood doesn’t flow properly, and your digestive track doesn’t run smoothly,” according to Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Naporent in “Fitness for Dummies.”

Some people avoid cold water believing that it will lead to cramps. Others think that drinking water will bloat the body and affect an athlete’s performance. In reality, cramps are caused by dehydration and drinking water prevents this.

Boxers, dancers, football players, and long-distance runners may lose as much as five pounds of water in hot, humid weather. If that amount isn’t replaced, dehydration and exhaustion set in and that could be fatal.

You can tell if you’re dehydrated since you get tired easily and lack energy. Other signs of dehydration are headache, dry mouth, little or no urine, dizziness, lightheadedness, and dark or bad smelling urine. This could eventually lead to urinary tract infections, kidney infections, and kidney stones.

“You’ve probably heard that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, 9 to 13 if you’re exercising. Here’s where that number comes from: You typically lose 10 cups of water per day – 2 cups to sweating and evaporation, 2 cups to breathing, and 6 cups to waste removal. You can replace up to 2 cups through the water in the foods that you eat, but you have to make up the remaining 8 cups by drinking fluids – water being the best choice,” Schlosberg and Naporent added.

Drinking lots of water is also important for healthy skin. Aside from flushing out toxins from the body, water is essential in maintaining your skin’s suppleness and elasticity. Lack of water can make your skin look old, leathery, and full of wrinkles. That’s why you need to drink enough water to look good.

“Drinking at least 8 glasses of water is no gimmick; it is really the easiest way to improve your skin! Not only will drinking water hydrate your skin, giving it a more supple feel and a lovely glow, but drinking plenty of water will improve your health overall. It is important to remember the recommended daily amount of water increases if you drink a lot of coffee, soda or alcohol as these drinks can dehydrate your skin,” said Melissa Williams Netherton of ChicBlvd.com.

Aside from drinking water, your skin can also look beautiful with a little help from Dermaxin. This popular anti-wrinkle cream has the right ingredients to reduce the signs of aging and restore your skin’s healthy glow. For details, check out .