Are you drinking enough water this winter? Chances are on these cold days, consumption of pure clean water decreases or might be replaced with dehydrating substances like coffee. If this is you, here are some thoughts as to why to get back to water.
Our body is approximately 60% water with some parts such as the brain and heart being 73% and the lungs 83%. Obviously it is a key element and without it we will not survive. Water is an important nutrient in every cell; it regulates body temperature, is a solvent for chemical reactions, transports metabolized protein and carbohydrates as needed, cushions our joints, it eliminates waste products and more.
In addition to the aforementioned, water is vital for our fascia. Our mobility, integrity, and resilience are determined in large part by how well hydrated our fascia is. When we think of stretching a muscle, we are actually gliding the layers of fascia along one another. With the absence of enough water these layers get glued together and become brittle, thus increasing our risk for injury.
According to the USGS Water Science School, “Each day humans must consume a certain amount of water to survive. Of course, this varies according to age and gender, and also by where someone lives. Generally, an adult male needs about 3 liters per day while an adult female needs about 2.2 liters per day.”
This may seem like a lot and yes you can get some water through foods but not enough. You need to be consciously drinking water throughout the day to reach an optimal level. Throughout is the key as it is best to sip on water continually rather than gulping a large amount all at once. And don’t wait until you are thirsty. The older you get, the less the thirst mechanism kicks in. Typically when you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated!
Still there is more to it than this. You can drink and drink all day long but if you are not moving your body the water will not go into your cells as needed. In addition, where posture is poor or repetitive motions are your norm, those tissues are particularly dehydrated and without movement will continue to be so.
Let us imagine our body is a natural sponge. When it is dry, it is rigid and brittle yet if you provide water it becomes very soft and pliable. Take that sponge another step. If that sponge were wet but full of dirty water, we would need to squeeze it out to remove the waste, allowing a bath of nice fresh water to enter.
Essentially this is what is going on in your body. You drink water but don’t move and instead sit all day. Like the rigid sponge, there is nothing moving it to inspire the water to enter and consequently your body remains in stuck dehydrated positions. However if you drink your water and then move in all directions, the muscles are acting like the hand that brings water to the sponge, squeezes it to free up waste, and then during the relaxation period, the sponge or tissues have the opportunity to fill back up with new fresh water and nutrients. It is really not all that difficult to do.
So make this be one of your New Year’s resolutions. Drink plenty of pure fresh water through the day and move in all directions like you would in an Essentrics workout! This will allow you to enjoy all the benefits of keeping your body supple and healthy!
Last, if you are a geek and would like to understand more about water in our body, here is a fun website to read more about the process.