The Combat Sneak
- Proper hydration has plenty of benefits including: energy, joint lubrication, weight loss, healthy skin, brain function, and digestion.
- If you’re not already used to it, drinking plenty of water doesn’t have to be hard.
- You can easily incorporate more water into your daily life by trying different methods such as: water bottles that fit your lifestyle, setting alarms, drinking water first thing in the morning, and setting goals like striving to drink a glass of water with every meal.
Background
There are a ton of benefits to drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated. However, we just want to tell you a few of our favorites and give you some tips on how you can easily incorporate proper hydration into your daily life.
Main Point
-Fight Fatigue-
In today’s world we are overwhelmed with the amount of energy drinks and carbonated beverages available. Instead of reaching for a glass of water for an energy boost, we look to energy drinks and energy shots to get us through our day. According to BeverageDaily.com, energy drink sales reached $49.5 billion globally. Now there’s really no way to compare this to expenses on drinking water, so it’s hard to conclude that we have a drinking problem. However, I think we can all agree, more often than not (and YOU may even be one of them) people reach for an energy drink when they need a boost during their day. And one of the last things we tend to think about when we need energy is water. If you are guilty of this, maybe it’s time to make a little change and try something out. It’s simple, it’s easy…DRINK MORE WATER! I promise you, when you are properly hydrated you will have way more, sustainable, and longer lasting energy throughout the day. All the water you drink will actually give you more energy than an energy drink will! So the next you time have the craving for an energy boost, drink some water. And keep drinking it. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you are actually hydrated.
-Everything’s Runs Better with the Right Amount of Lube-
Your muscles and joints have their own natural lubricants which help keep your body safe and healthy when doing any sort of activity. Water plays a key role in being able to lubricate your joints when you start to exercise. With that being said, it is imperative you make sure you properly warm up prior to strenuous exercise to make sure your body has time to lubricate itself!
-Weight Loss/Weight Gain-
If your goal is weight loss (aka fat loss), drinking plenty of water will actually help your body metabolize fat and rid your body of toxins. Additionally, you can easily curb your appetite by drinking water. If you want to gain weight (muscle weight), staying properly hydrated will do a number of things to help achieve this goal. Whether it’s lubricating your joints, which will help with your lifts, or delivering nutrients and extracting toxins from your muscles, you cannot discount the power of H2O!
-Great Looking Skin-
Believe it or not, your overall health can be seen through your skin… And staying hydrated is a key factor in your overall health. As I said before, having a healthy intake of water will help flush toxins from your body. This will show in your skin! Your skin will stay clearer, stay tighter, and glow…okay, so not literally glow, but you get what I mean.
-Brain Function-
Water plays an important role in brain function. In 2012, a University of Connecticut study found mild dehydration, as low as 1-2%, caused a decrease in cognitive function. They found men would struggle with mental tasks while women had trouble with anxiety in early onset stages of dehydration.
-Proper Hydration = Proper Digestion-
Dehydration can lead to constipation. Constipation can cause digestive and kidney diseases. Proper water intake, if you have noticed, effects every part and system of your body.
Information In Action
Now that you have some of our favorite benefits, here are a couple ways you can make it easier to stay hydrated.
-The Container Matters-
It’s important to find what works for you. Maybe you’re like me and need something large to keep yourself aware of the water you are toting around. I find myself constantly loosing little 12oz water bottles and even shaker cups. I’ve also found gallon jugs tend to be too large and bulky. I’m CONSTANTLY on the go and need something large enough I won’t forget it, but small enough to be easy to carry or put in my bag. A 36oz Nalgene style bottle is perfect for me. Maybe you just like the way a certain bottle looks so you’ll drink out of it more often because it looks cool. Or maybe you want to see your progress throughout the day so a gallon jug is the best for you. Try different things out until something sticks. Just keep drinking!
-Alarms Aren’t Only for Wake-Ups-
You could set alarms or timers on your phone that remind you however often you want to drink a set amount of water. Give it a try!
-Morning Cup of….Water-
Yes, that’s right! Before you do anything else, drink some water. Think about it…if you sleep for 8 hours straight, you haven’t had any fluids for 8 hours. You wake up dehydrated, so it’s important to start hydrating right away. I keep a water bottle on my night stand so as soon as my alarm goes off and I get up, I drink water right away. If you want to do one better, make a glass of ice water first thing in the morning to really add some pep to your step!
-Set Goals-
You could do something as simple as set a goal that every hour you drink a glass of water. Or if you’re the gallon jug type, mark increments on your jug with time stamps which show where you want to be throughout the day with your water intake.
-Let’s Have Water with Every Meal-
I learned this in basic training, and it’s simple. Have a glass of water before and after your meal. For one, it keeps you hydrated (which is what this is all about, right?). Secondly, it can help with the digestion of your food. And last, but certainly not least, it can help you curb your appetite.
What’s your favorite benefit of proper hydration? Tell us in the comments below!
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