What Good Hydration Does To Your Body
it’s obviously a basic fact of human life that we need plenty of water in order to live. our bodies are up to 60% water, so clearly it’s a substance that we rely upon heavily. but without having a full, comprehensive knowledge of what water actually does for you, you might find keeping yourself adequately hydrated a bit challenging sometimes. it’s certainly something i often struggle with! so i thought: let’s do a deep dive together and try to motivate ourselves into drinking more water.
we’ll do it by discussing all of the major ways in which good, solid hydration improves our bodies. we will focus not only on the many health benefits, but the improvements to your looks and appearance, as well as mental health benefits, too. so let’s find out exactly why you should be drinking a lot more water in your daily life.
WATER HYDRATES YOUR JOINTS
water is vital for the proper lubrication of your joints. if you are dehydrated, your joints simply won’t work as well as they should, and that will mean you are more likely to have cracking, creaking bones. over time, this can lead to bone density issues as well as a range of other similar quandaries. as a girly going into her late thirties, this is something that i am always concerned about. i really don’t want to end up with severe joint pain (or worse!) in later life. would you?
IT MAXIMIZES PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE
if you love to work out, or even if you just know you should, you’ll need to drink enough water in order to make sure you can do so, and that it is going to work as well as possible. water actually helps to maximize your physical performance, so if you are drinking plenty of it you will find that your exercise is a lot more effective, easier to do, and just generally better for you. you will be able to run further, lift more, and smash whatever targets you have a lot more easily. make sure to drink water before, during, and after workout sessions for the best results.
IT IS VITAL FOR BRAIN FUNCTION
you need plenty of water in order for your brain to function as well as possible. in fact, there is a very strong and well-recorded link between your hydration level and your brain’s ability. even a very mild dehydration state can affect your brain’s function considerably, so it really is a hugely important thing that you need to be wary of here. as long as you are drinking enough water, you will find it easier to think, you’ll be able to put ideas together more quickly, and your cognitive and intellectual abilities will improve considerably.
IT’S GREAT FOR AN ENERGY BOOST
it isn’t just about getting a boost, but having strong, ongoing energy levels. if you are hydrated well, you’re going to find that you have a much better ability to be full of energy. so drinking lots of water is useful for exercise, for moving around in your daily life, and for thinking clearly and quickly, too. all in all, having high energy levels consistently leads to many significant improvements in your life, which is such an underrated, but highly beneficial, effect of getting enough hydration day-to-day.
THE PREVENTION OF HEADACHES
pretty much every headache you have ever had was likely the product of dehydration. this is why you get a headache when you are hungover, and it’s why you get them often when you haven’t eaten much, too — because a lot of the water we need is in our food. it is much harder to get rid of a headache than to stop one happening in the first place, so if you want to prevent headaches, just make sure that you are drinking plenty of water every day. you will be a lot less likely to get headaches at all, which is amazing not just for our physical state, but our mental health, too!
REGULATING BODY TEMPERATURE
did you know? you also need good hydration levels if you are going to maintain normal body heat levels. having a regulated body temperature ensures that your circulation can continue on in a healthy manner, and it helps ensure that your organs are kept at the right temperature as well. all it takes is to drink enough water each day, and then your body is going to be a lot more likely to regulate its own temperature as it needs to.
DELIVERING OXYGEN
as you probably know, water is essential for the body because it helps to deliver oxygen through the blood. being even a little dehydrated considerably decreases how much oxygen is being spread around the body. this means your vital organs are getting much less oxygen, are less able to work and function as well as they should, and that your body in general is not going to be working as well as possible. so it’s important that you are getting enough water in order for your body to get the oxygen it desperately needs.
IT CAN AID WEIGHT LOSS
if you ever find yourself trying to lose weight, you definitely need to make sure you are drinking plenty of water. good hydration is proven to aid in weight loss, often in a much more powerful way than people give it credit for. this works in a number of ways, including boosting your metabolic rate. this means that you are going to digest food quicker (always a plus!). it also helps you to feel full sooner, so you can manage hunger pangs better and eat less, overall. if you want to lose some fat, health and nutrition experts often advise increasing one’s water intake. it will really make a considerable difference.
of course, it also helps to incorporate various foods and recipes in your everyday life as you go on you weight loss journey. not only is it beneficial to keep track of what you eat, but some fun variety also makes you less likely to get bored of your new routine and fall back on old habits.
HYDRATE YOUR WAY TO SMOOTHER SKIN
good hydration is also strongly linked to having clear and smooth skin. in fact, one of the main rough and bumpy skin causes is dehydration or a lack of water. that can get worse over time and ultimately lead to skin that is dull and lifeless. if you want smooth, beautiful skin, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water and generally caring for yourself. lots of hydration can go a long way in assisting a skincare routine that is targeted to your needs. at the end of the day, it’s a simple thing you can do for your skin that will prove to be worthwhile down the line.
WATER FOR GUT HEALTH
in truth, the digestive system as a whole depends on your hydration. it simply cannot function as it is meant to without plenty of water being flushed through the system each day, so you should make sure that you remember that, particularly if you experience problems with your digestion in general. from helping to break down and process the food you eat, to preventing uncomfortable conditions such as bloating and constipation, water clearly plays a huge role in our digestive system.
ONLY GOOD HAIR DAYS
another great beauty improvement you can expect from decent hydration is that your hair is going to look a lot better, too. drinking plenty of water will enable your hair to remain lush and beautiful, and will mean that you have to do a lot less in order for it to look exactly how you want it to. so this is something that is really worth thinking about if you want to try and make your hair look its very best. you’ll even find that it goes a long way in giving you confidence and boosting your mood every day.
REGULATING BLOOD PRESSURE
as we get older, our blood pressure becomes such a major factor in trying to maintain good health. there are many things that influence blood pressure, and your water intake is one of the main ones. the more hydrated you are, healthier your blood pressure will likely be. i’ll definitely be keeping this in mind!
MAKES NUTRIENTS ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR BODY
one of water’s primary functions in the body is the way that it dissolves minerals and nutrients, so that they are able to be accessed and used in a myriad beneficial ways. without those vital minerals and nutrients, people are more likely to develop health issues such as weak bones, fatigue, or a decreased immune system, among other things. it’s one of the major reasons why staying hydrated should be our top priority every single day.
there is so much good to be gained from developing healthy water drinking habits. good hydration can do amazing things for our bodies, inside and out. with a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and a good amount of sleep, water can truly be a miracle drink that will keep us energized, happy, and healthy.
