We all know that drinking water is essential to our health. As a matter of fact, water is second only to oxygen in its importance to our survival. Your cells are crying out for water to support your body’s essential functions.
The standard recommendation is 64 ounces per day, or approximately half of your body weight in ounces, whichever is greater. This rule of thumb is still a good one, no matter your age, and can be modified as needed based on the climate you live in or any underlying health conditions.
Of course, water is also an important part of weight management and glowing skin. And, no matter our age, we can all get on board with that.
But did you know that it is even more important to monitor your water intake as you age? The older we get, the less efficient our bodies become at storing water. On top of this, our body’s dehydration signals tend to weaken as we age, so we may not feel thirsty until we are already dehydrated.
Not yet convinced that water should be your beverage of choice? Read on for a more in-depth look at the importance of hydration to your vibrant – but aging – body.
Cognitive Function
Water is essential to a properly functioning brain. Studies show that even mild dehydration can impact the functionality of your brain cells. As we age, the ability of our brains to withstand cellular changes declines. Simply put, a younger woman can more quickly reverse the effects of cognitive decline than an older woman can. The prolonged cellular stress caused by dehydration can lead to irreversible damage and substantial cognitive decline. Studies have also shown that even mild dehydration can lead to fatigue, anxiety, restlessness, confusion, and depression.
Tissue, Muscular, and Organ Function
If you are dehydrated, your body compensates by grabbing the water it needs from your tissues, muscles, and organs. Now take a few seconds to really picture this! I don’t know about you, but I’d rather provide my body with the water it needs instead of having it leach off my life-sustaining organs!
When it comes to muscle, we lose lean muscle tissue as we age. This is why strength training is a critical component of a fitness plan for aging adults. Adequate hydration is equally as important. We need to do everything we can to build lean muscle mass as we age, not steal from it.
A sufficient water intake also improves our endurance levels, lowering the heart rate and speeding up the recovery process after we exercise.
Kidney Function
As with many bodily processes, kidney function tends to decline as we age. Your kidneys rely on water to remove waste from your blood. When your kidneys don’t receive enough water, the problem is compounded, which can lead to kidney stones or even kidney failure.
Circulatory Function
Your heart pumps almost 2,000 gallons of blood each day. That’s a lot of pumping.
As we age, there is less fluid in the bloodstream, so blood volume decreases. When you become dehydrated, the amount of blood circulating throughout your body decreases even further. This causes a rise in your heart rate and blood pressure. Your blood will also retain more sodium when you are dehydrated since sodium helps with water retention. But this results in a thickening of your blood, which makes it harder for blood to circulate throughout your body. Staying hydrated helps your heart pump blood more easily and allows oxygen to reach your muscles, which helps the muscles work efficiently.
Immune Function
As we age, our immune system weakens. And no surprise – water is one of the keys to providing our immune system with the boost it needs. Water helps with nutrient absorption and rids the body of waste, thus fighting off illness. It also keeps mucous membranes moist, which helps prevent common colds and viruses.
Digestive Function
As we age, peristalsis, or the muscular contractions required to move food through our digestive tract, slows down. This causes our food to move more slowly through the colon, which can lead to constipation. Other common digestive issues as we age include reflux-associated symptoms. Drinking water before, during, and after a meal helps your body break down the food so you can digest it more easily. Water simply helps things move more efficiently through your digestive tract.
Mobility Function
Sufficient fluid intake helps lubricate and cushion your joints, spinal cord, and tissues. Not only does this lead to increased mobility, but it decreases the risk of falls. Drinking water will help you stay active longer and can reduce the discomfort of joint conditions that may develop, such as arthritis.
Quench Your Thirst Before You Feel It
You may now be convinced of your body’s need for water. But remember – don’t wait to feel thirsty before you reach for your water jug. Keep some type of water vessel handy and know how many times you need to refill it each day to reach your goal.
You can get your water from a variety of sources. Don’t forget the water content in fresh fruits and vegetables, herbal teas, fermented beverages (like kombucha – one of my favorites), and broth-based soups.
Aging isn’t for the faint of heart. But we’ve all seen the 70-year-old who looks and feels 45, and the 45-year-old who looks and feels 70. It’s true that we can directly control much of the aging process. What better place to start than with water? Make it your top priority today and every day. Your oxygen intake will take care of itself. It’s up to you to stay hydrated, my friend!
