Staying hydrated on a daily basis is so important for a whole host of different reasons.

 

Almost three-quarters of our bodies are made up of water; our brains are primarily water, our bodies need water to function properly, lubricate the joints, improve circulation, fight inflammation, and much more besides.

 

We value our customers, our flexible healthcare workers and our people, and so, want to bring you the latest in maintaining healthy lifestyles at work. First in our healthy lifestyle at work series is the fundamental importance of hydration.

 

Whether you are an office worker, a busy businessperson, a healthcare professional working long shifts, or anything in between, we all need to keep hydrated at work.

 

Why is water so important for our health?

Water is so beneficial for our bodies, yet unfortunately, many people simply don’t drink enough. As hard to believe as it may be, one of the main reasons people suffer from dehydration is simply forgetting to drink water or not knowing how much to drink.

If you work a 9 – 5, Mon to Fri, this means that you’re at work for 8 hours a day, and that’s not including travel times. Can you honestly say that you drink enough water to hydrate your body daily when you’re at work? If not, this will need to be addressed quickly.

To help you stay hydrated at work, here are 5 simple things you can do to ensure you’re drinking enough water.

 

Replace your teas and coffees with water

Yes, yes, we know that a lot of people struggle to wake up and function before their first caffeine fix of the day, but ideally, if you want a drink at work, you should swap the teas and coffees for water.

People assume that they’re getting enough fluid because they drink tea and coffee throughout the day because these drinks are made with water. While the drinks are made with water, tea and coffee are not suitable for hydration because they contain caffeine and are therefore considered to be diuretics.

Diuretics result in your body excreting more fluids than you take in, so by drinking caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee, ultimately, you’ll end up losing more fluids than you’re taking in. Instead, replace these beverages with a glass of water.

 

Don’t wait until you’re thirsty until you have a drink

Another common mistake, especially at work, when it comes to hydration is waiting until they’re thirsty before they have a drink.

Thirst is the body’s way of telling you that it is dehydrated and that it needs fluids, but dehydration is something we’re looking to avoid here. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty before having a drink; force yourself to drink water throughout the working day, even if you aren’t thirsty.

We aren’t saying that you should drink pint after pint of water every time you drink, but try sipping water every few minutes, even if you don’t feel thirsty at all.

 

Bring your own water bottle into the office

Because staying hydrated is so important, and because so many people are struggling to drink enough water each day – you can now purchase a wide selection of water bottles in large sizes, which are designed to hold a lot of water and keep it cool.

Purchase a water bottle and fill it up before you begin work for the day, and be sure to sip it regularly. Depending on the size of the bottle, set yourself the goal of finishing the bottle before you finish work for the day.

Try to keep your bottle within arm’s reach, rather than in a fridge or cupboard, as the further away from you it is, the less likely you’ll be to drink regularly. If you want to keep your water cold, go ahead and throw some ice cubes in there.

 

Set reminders to drink water

Like we said, one of the most common reasons people struggle to stay hydrated and drink enough is simply because they forget to drink enough.

If you’re guilty of forgetting to drink, go ahead and grab your phone and set reminders on your phone to remind you to drink.

As well as reminders, you can even download apps designed exclusively to track and monitor your water intake, so there really is no reason why you shouldn’t drink enough water daily. Setting reminders may seem a bit extreme or annoying even, but after a while, you’ll have done it so often that it will have become a habit.

 

Make flavoured water

If you begin to get bored of the taste of water at work, go ahead and make flavoured water to make it more exciting and more enjoyable.

Infuse your water with herbs and fruits such as mint leaves, lemons, limes, cucumber, strawberry, orange, and so on. Not only will these ingredients infuse into the water to improve the taste, but they’ll also enrich it with additional vitamins and minerals as well, making it even more nutritious.

 

The NHS website has more hydration information also. The promotion of good hydration habits is important as a foundation of a healthy lifestyle. It doesn’t need to be over complicated – simple changes and small steps towards a healthy lifestyle.

Join us next time when we look at nutrition at work in the second of our healthy lifestyle series!