Water is more than just something we need on a hot day… Water is VITAL to a healthy and properly functioning body. Staying hydrated is a very important part of a healthy mind and body. Keep reading to find out just a few reasons why we need water.
Strong Muscles
Without water, your muscles can’t get the oxygen they need that is normally carried through your blood. When this happens, your muscles can’t perform at peak efficiency—leaving you more easily fatigued and sore. Be sure to stay well hydrated to help your muscles be strong, and to avoid painful straining and cramps!
Mental Health
When your body isn’t getting the water it needs, it has a huge impact on your brain. Focus, thought processes, emotional state, and more are all directly connected to brain function. Being hydrated can help reduce brain fog, stress, and anxiety by helping your mind stay clearer, faster, and calmer.
Skin Care
Water helps the body flush out toxins and chemicals from the body. These are often picked up by our skin products and the foods we eat. So when we aren’t drinking enough water, these substances can sit in our skin for a long time… This can contribute to skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and more. We need water to help our skin be clearer and able to properly flush out any ick that’s seeped into it.
Blood Pressure
Dehydration can contribute to both spiking and falling blood pressure. This can be particularly dangerous to those who may have certain medical conditions… By not drinking enough water, your blood pressure can drop because of the lowered blood volume. This starves your body of much-needed oxygen and nutrients and can result in shock.
On the other end of the spectrum, lack of water can lead to heightened blood pressure as well. When the body is dehydrated, the kidneys go into self-preservation mode and try to get more water into the body by re-filtering urine rather than passing it. This creates a concentration of a hormone called vasopressin—which can cause a spike in blood pressure and constricted blood vessels.
These are just a few reasons why we need water in order to have a healthy mind and body. A good rule of thumb to be sure you stay hydrated is to drink half of your weight in ounces each day. For example, if you weighed one hundred pounds, you would need fifty ounces of water a day to be properly hydrated. Until you’ve developed good water-drinking habits, keep track of your water intake each day, and figure out how you can improve so you can have a healthier lifestyle. Happy hydrating!