Good evening I am SrA Timothy Clemens; and I am here to talk to you about hydration. Are you currently thirsty? If so then you could already be in the first stage of dehydration. That’s right; according to livestrong. com the first symptom of dehydration is thirst or being thirsty. Have you ever heard of the rule; drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day? Well there is no more rule about how many glasses of water you should drink throughout the day though it is suggested that you drink between 9 and 12 beverages a day.
This is because in recent studies scientists have found that you can hydrate through other beverages such as soda and coffee as well as in foods that contain high water content such as lettuce. Today I’m going to inform you why hydrating is important, how it helps your body function and how it improves your productivity. It does not matter if you live in a cold or hot environment you still need to hydrate. Yes someone who lives and works in the desert will require more water than someone who works in a cold environment or even indoors, but it is just as important for both people to hydrate throughout the day.
In my career field many people who work in cold conditions and get sent to a desert often do not change their water intake. This leads to dehydration and if they continue to work without hydrating they may get heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. In severe cases this may lead to death. While that person is being tended to this leaves others to pick up their slack becoming fatigued and exhausted. Water is crucial for optimal body function. Our bodies are about 80 percent water.
This means that ever body cell, tissue and organ requires water to function. Water travels through your blood stream to help carry oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Water is also needed for regulation. While working or working out being well hydrated helps you sweat and dissipate heat through your skin. This allows your body to cool itself down, reducing the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Hydrating also allows your body to remove waste through urine.
Because water improves your daily body functions it also improves your productivity. When you become dehydrated you may be get headaches, anxiety, and muscle cramps. Under these conditions you cannot perform to the best of your abilities and may become fatigued. For example a basketball player who does not hydrate the night before a game or during the game will become exhausted early and will not be on point. A dehydrated basketball player is great for the opposing team, allowing them to have one less player to defend.
Did you know that a 2 percent loss in body water can show symptoms of short term memory loss, blurred vision or trouble focusing on objects? If you have trouble focusing on objects it would be difficult to give your current task 100% and it may hinder your ability to finish your work. When your boss notices you not giving 100% you may miss out on that big promotion that you have been waiting for and someone else who does not deserve it may get the promotion. As you can tell hydrating is extremely important.
I talked to you day on how hydrating helps prevent heat exhaustion/heat stroke, how hydrating improves body functions such as sweating and removing waste, and how it improves you productivity. Allowing you to have more energy and keeping focus. It could even save your life someday. Thank you for your time and I hope you take this information and apply it where ever you go. Remember there is no set amount of water to drink throughout the day, though the recommended amount is between 9 and 12 beverages a day and more if you are in a hot environment.