Dehydration

We all know that we change as we age. It is a rare case when individuals can look back and say that they feel stronger, more energetic, and more capable than when they were in their early 20’s. But, did you know that the older we get the higher our risk factor for dehydration becomes? 

One of the reasons for this is that as we age, we naturally lose both muscle mass and tissue mass. Losing such mass means that we lose the capacity to store the amount of water in our bodies that we did as young adults. It is estimated that aging adults decrease their water capacity by an astounding 15%! That means we must drink more frequently now than we did in prior years. 

Why do we at Total Wellness and our sister companies, Redline Exercise Rx and Brain Builders Pros, care so much about drinking water? Because the effects can be devastating. In a recent 2020 study published by the American Psychological Association, a team of researchers investigated the effects of dehydration on individuals over a span of time. They found that recurring dehydration as we age (that is, over a period of many years) has detrimental effects on our cognitive functioning as well as our physical well-being. We are not talking about short-term illness such as a headache or nausea, but of long-term consequences of often finding ourselves in a dehydrated state.   

The good news is that we can take the steps now to rehydrate our bodies and begin a healing process. This month we will be continuing our Water Dare with a new challenge: Start small by simply counting how many ounces/glasses of water you drink each day this week. Only count water, not other beverages even if they are water based (such as tea or coffee). What’s your number today? 

Take up the challenge… if you dare. 

References: 

Mantantzis, K., Drewelies, J., Duezel, S., Steinhagen-Thiessen, E., Demuth, I., Wagner, G., Lindenberger, U., & Gerstorf, D. (2020). Dehydration predicts longitudinal decline in cognitive functioning and well-being among older adults. Psychology and Aging, 35(4), 517-528.