Drink Water Regularly, it does a body good!

Every day, clients ask me all sorts of questions, most commonly:

• Is that normal for my muscles to be so tight?
• Why do I constantly feel sore here?
• Why do I always feel bloated?
• Why is there so much tightness around my joints?
• Why won’t this swelling go away?
• What is stopping me from losing weight?
• Why do I feel drunk when I get off the massage table?
• What is causing me to feel dizzy when I get out of bed?
• Why does my body love holding onto water?
• Why do I have headaches every day?

Usually when I get these questions, clients usually follow up saying that they’ve tried:

• Detoxes.
• ______ drug that my doctor put me on.
• Cortisone shots that my doctor gave me. 
• This device or that device. 
• Adjustments with my chiropractor. 
• _______ diet.

Ultimately, the client finishes with just one last question: Do you know of anything I can do? When I get this line of questioning, my answer is quite simple. My clients often need to drink more water, and they’re pleasantly surprised by how much better they might feel when they’re properly hydrated. 

Here’s why water is so important.

Drink Water, It Works

The human body is between 60-70 percent water. Muscles alone are 70 percent water. You need to drink a lot of water on a daily basis for your body to function properly and at its optimal level. Without consistent water intake your body IS going to breakdown. 

We all know someone who treats their car like this. They put a few dollars of gas into their car on an empty tank, just enough to get them (hopefully) to where they need to go. Then soon after they get there, they look down at their gas meter and panic because they need gas. So they feverishly look for a gas station to put a few more dollars in. This is a short-term solution to a very manageable problem. Fill up your tank and go longer, be stronger with fewer worries. Fueling your body with water does exactly the same thing. 

Water performs a long list of bodily functions that we don’t commonly think about, such as:

• Improves digestion. 
• Helps breakdown food into nutrients.
• Repairs muscle tissue.
• Increases metabolism. 
• Detoxifies the body.
• Helps you feel satisfied.
• Stimulates cleansing organs like your liver, kidneys, colon and skin.
• Lubricates and cushions your joints.
• Keeps your soft tissue hydrated and pliable.

As a result, water can help prevent injuries, soreness, bloated feelings, headaches, weight gain, lymphedema, inflammation, slow digestion, constipation, dehydration, dizziness, exhaustion, tightness and many other concerns. 

How Much Water Should You Drink

My first recommendation to this solution is the simplest one I can give: drink water. There are a million different philosophies on how much water a person should drink. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine reported that women should consume about 91 ounces of water or three-quarters of a gallon per day. Men should consume about 125 ounces per day (a gallon is 128 ounces). Everyone is different. 

A good rule of thumb that I recommend to many of my clients is to check their urine color. If your urine is yellow, you need to drink more water. If your urine is dark yellow, it means you’re dehydrated and need to drink a lot of water. The goal is drink enough water so that your urine is clear which indicates you’re hydrated. Depending on the types of foods you eat and the supplements you take, will have an impact on your urine color too. In this case, if you follow the same principle you will be drinking more water. 

If it were easy to remember to drink water, no one would ever be dehydrated, but some people forget.

One of the solutions I found helpful when I first started drinking water was to have a glass or a bottle of water around me at all times. This may sound silly but I had water on my night stand, water in my car’s cup holder, water on my desk, water next to my couch. Literally everywhere. Wherever I reached, there was water. Whenever I ate, I would only drink water. I don’t know if I graduated but now, I carry a gallon of water with me everywhere. I got a BPA-free gallon jug off Amazon and I absolutely love it. I’ve been happily drinking a gallon of water for over 12 years now. Yes of course I fall off the wagon but I ALWAYS get back on it. 

I have lost and maintained my weight with water consumption. I recover faster from workouts and intense massage sessions. I’m not tired. My digestion system functions great. Overall, I feel better and am happier when I drink water. So before you reach for Advil or consider changing your diet, reach for a glass of water instead.

Felicia Hayes

Hi. I’m Felicia. I’ve made a 20+ year career of massage and bodywork. And, I still love it. I also enjoy writing, playing music, photography, cooking, baking and painting. All of which I’m not very good at. I’m also a daily bike commuter.