With the arrival of spring, many of our associates are getting back in the Reynolds Body Shop or their on-site gym, working out outside, or practicing for Reynolds upcoming softball season. One of the simplest, most effective, but most often overlooked ways to improve your health and well-being however is to drink more water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 43% of U.S. adults drink less than four cups of water a day and 7% consume no drinking water at all.

So why is water so important? What benefits does it provide your body? How much should you be drinking each day? And how else can you include more water into your diet?

What Water Does For Your Body

Water is necessary to keep many systems throughout your body functioning at peak capacity. These include the central nervous system, metabolic system, digestive system, and thermoregulatory system. Losing just 2% of your body’s water weight can lead to decreased function in these systems. Therefore your body’s ability to perform at peak capacity, both mentally and physically, is highly dependent on remaining properly hydrated.

Additionally, low fluid intake has been shown to increase the risk of kidney stones, bladder and lower urinary tract cancer, and colorectal cancer.

How Much Water You Should Be Drinking

According to the Institute of Medicine, the daily adequate intake of water required to avoid the harmful effects of dehydration is 13 eight-ounce glasses for adult men, and 9 eight-ounce glasses for adult women.

It is important to note these recommendations are for sedentary adults. Exercise can cause a loss of water ranging from 3 – 100 ounces depending on the intensity of exercise and the temperature of the environment. This fluid loss needs to be replaced through additional water intake. Weigh yourself before and after your workout, for every pound you lose you need to drink about 25 ounces of water.

How You Can Increase Water Intake

Drinking water is important and you should make every effort to drink the recommended amount every day. Whether you are running in the gym or sitting at your desk, water is vital. But, if you find this challenging you can give yourself a boost by including some, or all, of these foods in your diet.

Each of the following foods is over 85% water:

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Green Cabbage
• Pineapple
• Radishes
• Zucchini
• Strawberries
• Cucumber
• Watermelon
• Sweet Peppers
• Oranges
• Raspberries
• Cranberries
• Grapefruit
• Cantaloupe
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Celery

Now that you know how important water is to your overall health, you can use these tips to help ensure you’re getting enough water in your diet, whether through drinking it or eating water-rich foods.

Reynolds and Reynolds is committed to wellness and helping employees develop healthy habits that make them more productive and engaged, both professionally and personally.