60% of our body is water, which is equivalent to 11 gallons or 92 pounds. Our body NEEDS water to survive and we need to make sure to replenish its water source throughout the day. A healthy person needs approximately 30-50 ounces of fluid per day… and we aren’t talking about pop. It is estimated that about 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated. Make sure you aren’t one of those statistics!
When you feel yourself get thirsty, that means you are already dehydrated. Crazy, right? This is because dehydration is what causes the thirst response. to occur in the first place. Dehydration is the #1 cause of midday fatigue. It is also known to put stress on our cognitive functioning processes, which will lead to a foggy memory, irritability, lack of concentration and an increase in anxiety. Furthermore, dehydration is one of the main causes of kidney stones. The kidney requires adequate fluids to flush out wastes and toxins. When it doesn’t get supplied the fluid it needs, there is a build-up of substances which become kidney stones.
On the flip side, staying hydrated keeps your mind sharp and your body healthy and ready for just about anything. Staying hydrated has so many benefits to our daily performance. For example, drinking water promotes cardiovascular health because dehydration actually lowers your blood volume. By drinking more water, we increase the blood volume, increasing our blood oxygen levels and, ta-da! Healthy Heart. Staying hydrated also helps to keep the joints and muscles working better. When we’re hydrated, the cells in the muscles facilitate those muscles with proper nutrients and remove any leftover waste. It is also good for lubricating the joints!
Another great benefit is that water helps keep the body cool, which is why it is so important for strenuous activities. When your body is hot, the blood vessels expand and go closer to the skin’s surface to let off heat. When the body is dehydrated it takes a higher internal temperature to trigger the blood vessels to expand. Drinking water can help promote this expansion of the blood vessels and therefore keep you cool.
Water is great for cleaning out the body. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from the blood and excreting it as urine. Water aides the kidneys, and other organs, to filter out the bad stuff from the body and keep the body functioning normally.
Since water is great for flushing out toxins, lubricating the joints and providing our muscles with the proper nutrients, there is no better fluid to drink after a massage. While a massage is taking place, the damaged old tissue in the muscle is getting broken up, which helps to increase blood flow. When these areas are broken up, metabolic waste is released into the blood which causes the kidneys to have to work harder and use more water than normal to flush it all out. By drinking lots of water after a massage, you can help the kidneys flush out the toxins faster and get those essential nutrients transported around. Fill up your water bottle and stay hydrated! Your body will thank you.