Summers just around the corner and there’s nothing more refreshing than a big cold glass of water on a hot summer day. But when you’re busy adventuring all day it’s all too easy to forget to drink water. One of our favorite ways here at camp to encourage campers to drink water is by using this catchy saying – “hydrate, don’t diedrate.” If you have ever been to our camp I’m sure you’re familiar with the green water jugs that the guides chug along on all of the adventures. We’ve even given these water jug a name – our babies. Maybe you’ve been kind enough to carry on of our ‘babies’ for us. If you have, let me just take this moment to say, thank you!
But you may be wondering; what’s all this rage about drinking water? The reason we want to encourage our campers to drink water is not just because it’s hot in the summer. Drinking water has many more benefits than just cooling us down and keeping us from getting dehydrated on a hot day.
Here are seven benefits that drinking water can do for you that you may not have known about.
1. It Boosts Your Mood
Turns out happiness can be found at the bottom of a glass – of water. When researchers asked study participants to increase their H2O intake from five to ten cups per day, subjects reported feeling calmer and more satisfied with their life in about five days.
Drinking more water can make you happier! That’s enough to make me want to drink more water. If you’re ever feeling down, make sure you are staying hydrated and drinking lots of water. It may be just what you need to lift up your spirits.
2. It Helps You Heal Faster
If you cut yourself, treat that wound and then sip 16 ounces of water. Research shows dehydration can impair the recovery process, but drinking water improves microvascular circulation in your skin which is important to healing.
When I cut myself my first inclination is usually not to drink more water. Who knew that water is one of the best remedies for healing faster! And water is always available to us.
3. It Lowers Your Odds of Having a Stroke
A John Hopkins Hospital study of people who’d suffered strokes found that 44% were dehydrated. Dehydration may cause your blood to thicken and have a harder time passing through blood vessels. Furthermore, the more hydrated these stroke patients were, the better their recovery.
Not only does water help us in our lives here and now, but it helps us in the longterm as well. All the more reason to keep drinking water.
4. It Won’t Ruin Your Workout
There’s a reason your Zumba instructor is constantly reminding everyone to drink up between songs. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, having water before, during, and after exercise can prevent problems like heat stroke and painful muscle cramps. So if you enjoy working out make sure to take those breaks to drink water.
5. It Can Quiet a Headache
Often times we can experience headaches simply by being dehydrated. If you have been exerting yourself physically and not drinking water, you may find yourself with a headache. The cure- simply drink more water. By slowly drinking anywhere from 1 to 6 cups of water you can wipe away that headache. If you’re experiencing a migraine triggered by water deprivation, you could be pain-free in as little as half an hour!
6. It Makes You a Better Driver
One small study showed that not drinking enough H2O before a long car ride may cause you to make more mistakes behind the wheel. We get it: You don’t want to stop to pee. “But you may become dehydrated enough to impair your driving,” says study co-author Ronald J. Maughan, PhD, emeritus professor of sports and exercise nutrition at Loughborough University in the UK. Sip around 16 ounces of water before departing and have another 7 ounces while you’re on the road. Who cares if you cares if you have to make an extra stop to pee if it means you’ll be a safer driver.
7. It Increases Your Brainpower
Water helps your brain do it’s job better. Mild dehydration can suppress blood vessels in your brain which causes Short-term problems, such as – poor attention and slow reaction times. Keeping a water bottle with you and sipping on it throughout the day is a great way to keep your brain functioning at its finest. It may not get you a bonus, but refilling your water bottle will help you stay sharper. Bottoms up!
Drink Up!
Are you encouraged to drink more water now?! Next time a guide offers you one of our water jugs and reminds you to drink up, don’t hesitate. Take a big gulp of that water because water is more than just good for you – it’s vital for living a happy and healthy life!
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