Our bodies are composed of 55-60% of water. It has many jobs including: riding waste, regulating body temperature, delivering oxygen to tissues, and aiding in the reproduction and survival of cells (1). You might say it’s pretty important.
Unfortunately many do not consume enough water on a daily basis. With all the juice, soda, and sports drinks out there, it’s no wonder why.
These are the same people that often feel sluggish and tired throughout the day. They will hit a wall at some point and all they can think about is taking a nap. It’s hard to find the motivation to get to the gym during days like this, let alone be productive at work.
This is where water can help. In fact, it could be the simplest solution to your problem.
Photo Credit: http://www.cleanwateraction.org/programinitiative/protecting-drinking-water-0
Let me explain how.
1) It helps lubricate joints and tissues.
Think of your body as a car. When you get your oil changed regularly, you are helping extend the life of the car.
New oil helps ensure everything in the engine is lubricated. This in turn allows everything to function properly until the next oil change is needed.
The car needs oil just like the body needs water. When you provide sufficient water, it helps lubricate the joints and other tissues throughout your body (1). As a result, you will feel fresh throughout the day instead of stiff and achy.
2) It helps you stay hydrated.
Since the majority of your body is made of water, it requires a lot to function correctly. Staying hydrated is an important part of feeling energized throughout the day.
When dehydration occurs, your heart has to work harder to supply nutrients to the body (2).
Imagine you’re running a 5k race. Once the race begins, instead of pacing yourself you start to sprint. After 50 yards, you feel yourself slowing down. This continues to happen until you reach a mild jog.
As you keep moving, it feels harder and harder to keep going. Your legs feel like they don’t want to move, but you force them too. You eventually finish the race in last place.
What happened in this scenario?
Your body can only supply enough energy to sprint maximally for a few seconds. Once this limit is reached, you will start slowing down to conserve what energy you have left.
Unfortunately, since you have used a lot of energy in a small amount of time, the exercise will feel harder as you continue. By the end of it, you will feel completely drained.
This is similar to what happens to the heart if you are not consuming enough water. When water is low, the blood becomes thicker forcing your heart to work harder to supply blood to tissues. Overtime, this can cause feelings of fatigue and lethargy.
By drinking more water, your blood is more mobile and your tissues get the nutrients they need to continue working optimally.
Now I’m sure you may be wondering how much water do you need to drink, right? A good starting point is half your body weight. So if you weigh 150 lbs., shoot for a minimum of 75 ounces of water per day.
You can also use the color of your urine as an indicator of hydration. It should be a light yellowish color. If it’s dark yellow, you need more.
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As you can see, these benefits can be extremely powerful. What’s it worth to you to have sustained energy throughout the day?
You can easily do this through the simple act of drinking more water. A little tip that can help you reach your water goal each day is to buy a water bottle with a straw. I’ve found them to work better than the open top bottles.
I know you may be skeptical at first, but try it for a few days and see for yourself. You should notice an immediate change the next day and you may even feel better than you have in years!
If you are looking for a personal trainer in Savannah, contact me to set up a consultation.
And if you found any of this information helpful, or know of someone it could help please share with others!
References:
1) http://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
2) http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/your-guide-to-never-feeling-tired-again
