Water and Our Bodies
Pamela Redline
March 24, 2022
Are there some days when you just feel extra achy? There can be many reasons for this. Sometimes the weather can affect joint pain. Sometimes overuse can affect joint pain. Sometimes a sprain or strain can happen and cause joint pain. Sometimes dehydration can cause joint pain.
Yep, insufficient water levels can be the culprit. Water can aid with a lot of pains, such as headaches and muscle cramps. It can also certainly help with joint pain. For those suffering from issues such as rheumatoid arthritis and bursitis, pain can be exacerbated when the body is dehydrated, meaning increasing water can help to a certain degree. This is because water will both lubricate and cushion the body’s joints (cdc.gov, 2022).
Have you started a new workout or are you simply trying to be more active each day? Staying sufficiently hydrated is key. However, a good piece of advice is to drink before you exercise as well as after. For longer workouts, drinking during your activity can also be beneficial.
Doing so can help make activity easier not just by helping with joint pain. Water is known to help the body function at an optimal temperature. When dehydrated, individuals have a tendency to overheat quicker, leading to more difficult workouts. Water is also known to help blood flow and regulate heartbeat. During activity, the heartrate will increase, but it can increase higher and quicker when in a dehydrated state. A common symptom of dehydration is heart palpitations (Kaiser Permanente Health Care, 2022).
Lastly, it should be noted that water not only improves the blood flow to the body and promotes nutrient absorption, it also flushes toxins from the body. It is well known that water is extremely useful in resolving constipation. Staying sufficiently hydrated means lower instances of constipation and regular cleansing of toxins to maintain a healthy GI tract. Why is this so important? A healthy GI will strengthen the immune system (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18841699/).
Have you been feeling run down and lacking energy as spring eases its way in? The weather changes can be extreme going from warm to cold as we move into this rainy season, and people often come down with colds or sinus infections as our bodies deal with these changes in nature. How much thought have you given to the connection between illness and water? Science has shown that proper hydration will strengthen the immune system as it moves nutrients through the bloodstream and helps detoxify the body (University of California, 2020). Staying sufficiently hydrated will help you stay healthier this season!
As we have seen, dinking enough water each day is important to our physiological health because around 60% of our bodies are composed of water. Last blog, we challenged you to drink an extra glass or two of water each day. Today, we ask you to kick it up a notch by focusing on the timing of our water intake to ensure you are drinking throughout the day. We challenge you to begin your day with 16 ounces of water. This means trying to drink pure water the moment you wake up, before any coffee, tea, or juice. We know this is a habit that will help you thrive!
References – For more information, check out these websites:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/live-well/10-warning-signs-dehydration-watch-out
