Keeping a bottle of water with you is good advice, especially during the summer. Even mild dehydration can cause your energy to slip away. Your body is mostly fluid. Your brain is 73% fluid, lungs are 83%, and kidneys 70%, Water is necessary for the body to function correctly. It’s easy to dehydrate, especially on windy days when sweat evaporates quickly. You may feel cool, but your fluid reserve will drop rapidly. You may end up with heat exhaustion from dehydration. Even mild dehydration can make you exhausted, confused, or dizzy. It may present itself as dementia in seniors.
You might not think you need a bottle of water if you work at a desk.
You may work in an air-conditioned room and think that since it’s cool, you don’t have to worry about dehydration. After all, you’re not sweating. That’s not correct. Because you’re comfortable, dehydration is easier to miss. Air conditioners cool the air by removing the moisture. When it’s removing the moisture from the air, it’s also taking it from your body. Instead of grabbing a snack to reenergize, drink a bottle of water. You’ll be surprised at how much more alert you’ll feel. Even in winter months, heating any building dries the air and you.
Drink water to boost weight loss.
About a half hour before you eat, drink a bottle of water. To burn the most calories, make the water icy cold. It takes extra calories to offset the cold and warm your body. The water will fill you so you’ll eat less. It also is a good substitute for sugary soft drinks like colas. You’ll be surprised at how some of your food cravings are the body’s response to dehydration. If you drink a glass of water and your craving disappears, you have the answer and save hundreds of calories.
Do your joints ache or muscles hurt?
It may be that you’re slightly dehydrated. Sore joints can come from dehydration. Synovial fluid lubricates the joints. If you’re dehydrated, there is less fluid. The synovial fluid helps reduce the friction. The body struggles to get adequate fluid for the joints when it’s focusing on the heart, lungs, and brain. Your body also needs water to make cartilage to make joints move easier. About 65 to 80% of cartilage is water. Water keeps joints lubricated and helps create more cartilage to reduce pain in the future.
- Lack of adequate fluid from dehydration can lead to low or high blood pressure. It can cause a sudden drop due to low blood volume or an increase in an attempt to move thicker blood.
- If you want to look your best, stay hydrated. The older you are, the easier it is for your body to lose fluid that dries your skin and can cause wrinkling.
- Water can help reduce bloating and water weight. Drinking water ends water-hoarding by the body when your intake is low. Extra water also flushes out excess sodium, which causes water retention.
- The very old and the very young are more susceptible to dehydration. The very young are because of their size and the amount of bodily fluid. The very old lose fluid faster.
For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training