A curious question has been testing my knowledge. How does the body manage hydration?
By this, I mean:
If I drink water – how effective is my body in getting that hydration to my toes and fingers? And, how long does that take?
Does the body just prioritise liver and kidney function and the leftover just perfuse the rest of the body somehow?
Hydration of the skin, muscles and joints is very important for feeling better and being more mobile.
If good overall health and moving easier is important then how can I help myself?
Well after attending a webinar about the body’s “fascia” (connective tissue) and its importance for posture and movement, there was a discussion about the hydration of this connective tissue.
The discussion highlighted that the effectiveness of the fascia in controlling the body’s posture, mobility and function is influenced by hydration, ie the viscosity (thickness or “gloopiness”) of the fluid around the fascia is important.
The more “gloopy” the less flexible we are!
The best way to help achieve hydration throughout the whole body is not only ensuring that you do drink but also by keeping moving.
Activity drives fluid around the body, maximising your whole-body hydration.
So perhaps your thirst after walking is not because you’ve sweated profusely (not likely up till now with the weather as it was) but because you have hydrated the whole of your body. Regular movement will do this, so perhaps we need to also think about keeping mobile alongside taking fluid onboard to improve our hydration. Maybe even hydrating before stretching takes on a new emphasis.
If keeping active affects our hydration, then it must be difficult for those in pain or who are elderly and just achy and feel stiff to keep hydrated.
And whilst it is important to keep hydrated for kidney and liver function, it is also important to hydrate for posture and function. Perhaps then, an easier way to keep active – therefore hydrated, is to use a gym like Active-Nation (next door to the clinic).
Active Nation has exercise machines to help you move gently (therefore less pain involved with activity) that will improve your mobility, and additionally, improve your whole body hydration, which then, in turn, improves your mobility and posture – a virtuous circle. For a lot of us, moving is not something we think about, but for others, it can be a real effort.
If you have any questions about keeping mobile or you want more advice, get in touch with us today through our contact page or feel free to give us a call on 01590 679560.
Why not check out some of our other services such as our oncology massage or our excellent deep tissue sports massage in The New Forest.
For more information about Active Nation visit their website and see how they can help.