Hydration is Happiness
According to second-grade teachers everywhere (and the National Institute for Health and the American College of Sports Medicine), the human body is made up of 45-75% water. Your body composition determines just how much water you’re made of; muscles being 70-75% water while fat tissue is only 10-40% water. Needless to say, staying hydrated is key for optimal function and performance in everyday life as well as athletic activities.
We’ve all heard to drink eight glasses of water per day. But in reality, the amount of water one needs to drink can vary greatly from person to person. Some factors affecting water needs are diet (different foods have different levels of water in them), physical activity, age, and environmental conditions such as altitude, heat, and humidity.
Being properly hydrated leads to increased metabolism and energy. Water helps with cognitive function. Mild dehydration starts when the body is just 1 or 2% below your body’s ideal total body water level and has many negative effects like:
Negative results of Dehydration:
- Altered mental status
- Decreased concentration
- Increased anxiety
- Confusion
Benefits of Staying Hydrated:
- Helps flush out toxins
- Improves digestion and absorption
- Enhances transport of necessary nutrients for your body
Your level of hydration affects circulation and the viscosity or thickness of your blood. This affects how hard your heart has to work in order to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Being properly hydrated can prevent pain and inflammation by lubricating joints, organs, other tissues, the spinal cord, and even your brain (think dehydration headache, no fun). Hydration can help prevent kidney stones, constipation, UTI, and dry cracked skin. It can facilitate weight management, improve athletic performance, and the benefits of staying hydrated list goes on.
Carrying a water bottle with you helps increase the amount of water you drink each day. By setting goals and eliminating harmful sugar-filled beverages will aid in your hydration goals as well.
Water is a vital nutrient, and hydration is health, wellbeing, and happiness.