4 Short Reasons Why You Should Be Drinking More Water
Those who know me will often see me carrying a black 2.2L water bottle around. Aside from acting as a great impromptu dumbbell, it provides me a great source of hydration. Why should we stay hydrated? What makes water so important? For many of us, drinking a lot of water because it was healthy was what we were taught to accept. However, water actually accounts for 75% of our body mass. That’s a large proportion of your body mass that you (potentially) are not providing the nutrients it requires for it to be at its optimal self. Do you actually know of the specific benefits that staying hydrated could provide you? A quick Google search could tell you plenty, but it’s not a thought that crosses our minds on a daily basis. So, I did the hard work for you, and found some of the great effects that water can provide in four short points:
1) Mood and Focus
Have you ever had those days where you are just feeling sluggish, not excitable, and tired? Even the mildest dehydration can limit your cognitive ability, and in particular, energy levels, emotion, memory and performance. There have been numerous studies to prove that your cognition is highly correlated with how well you’ve hydrated your body. In other words, to perform at your mental peak, whether that be for work or studies, then consider increasing your hydration levels. It may be that instead of solving your tiredness through coffee, water may be a greater and healthier alternative. So next time you are feeling tired, or if you feel that you cannot concentrate, then instead of going for that afternoon coffee run, opt for a cheeky trip to the kitchen instead and grab a cup of water (or a 2.2L one, if possible).
2) Weight Loss
If you’re on a weight loss journey, then staying hydrated can actually aid in weight loss. You might be thinking, “But, I thought drinking more water adds more water weight! How does that work?”. Well, drinking water actually does a couple of things to assist weight loss. The first is that water can increase your metabolism, meaning that the things that you consume (i.e. food and water) are faster converted into expendable energy. In other words, the more water you intake, the easier it is for your body to burn more calories! Also, from a psychological perspective, drinking more water, especially right before a meal, can make you feel fuller and more satiated — meaning that you consume a smaller portion size and hence, less calories.
3) Relieve Headaches
This might be a more obvious one, but drinking water can relieve those nagging headaches in some individuals. One of the causes of headaches is dehydration, so, conversely, this means that drinking water and rehydrating yourself can relieve headache symptoms. So if you are suffering from a minor headache, it may be that you are simply just dehydrated, and your cure is right in the kitchen. Thus, before you go out and seek some paracetamol to relieve that headache of yours, try drinking some water first and observe if it helps!
4) Physical Performance
If the last one was not as obvious, then this has to be obvious! Staying dehydrated and not drinking water during physical workouts can mean that performance significantly declines, especially if it is high intensity and the temperature is on the warmer side. This can result in higher fatigue, impacted body temperature, as well as an effect on physical and mental ability. If you have a tendency to sweat highly, then it is important to remain hydrated before, during, and after your workout to ensure you are at your peak performance.
After this quick rundown of only a few of the benefits of hydration (I would encourage everybody to read up on it), I would encourage you all to research the benefits of water on the body, and how it impacts a lot of aspects of our daily lives. From personal experience, having had my 2.2L bottle for a couple of years now, I have observed a tremendous increase in my physical and mental performance. Granted, I visit the bathroom a plethora of times, but I can assure you it is definitely worth it!
