As the health benefits of water become more widely known, more and more businesses are choosing to promote water intake in the workplace. Experts say we should be aiming to consume around 2 litres of water a day, and more if we are doing exercise or in a warm environment. Many workplaces are going on to supply filtered water coolers to ensure employees get their daily fix – and with good reason!
There are a number of benefits to keeping hydrated at your desk. By taking this simple step for their health, workers can boost their performance as well as feeling generally happier in their job.
Here’s how…
1. Elimination of Fatigue
Fatigue can often be caused not by a lack of sleep, but from dehydration. When the body hasn’t had enough water, it may start to feel drowsy, causing many people to head for the coffee machine instead of the water cooler.
By the same token, a cooling glass of water can alleviate drowsiness caused by a bad night’s sleep and enabled tired workers to feel perkier and more engaged.
2. Lower Blood Pressure
Our blood is 92% water at full hydration, so being dehydrated can lead to thicker blood and a resistance in blood flow. This ultimately leads to a higher blood pressure, which isn’t good for other aspects of our health.
Ensuring we get enough water throughout the day helps keep our blood thin and flowing nicely around the body. It transports essential nutrients to all parts of the body and keeps us feeling calm and relaxed.
3. Aids Joint Pain and Stiffness
Today’s jobs often mean that most of us lead sedentary lives sitting at our desks all day, which in turn leads to chronic muscle tension or joint pain.
As well as taking regular breaks from our desk and exercising our legs throughout the day, its also just as important to take in adequate fluids – best of all, water. The cartilage in our joints is made of water, so dehydration can cause them to become weakened and slows down their repair.
Drinking water regularly helps to lubricate those areas prone to stiffness and keep them properly working.
4. Improves Brain Function
Our brain is made up of more than 75% water, meaning that a lack of the stuff can have significant effects. Studies have shown that when our brains don’t get enough water, they can visibly shrink in size temporarily. This can be felt through tension headaches and a ‘foggy’ mindset, making it harder to make decisions and solve problems.
Drinking enough water, on the other hand, can improve brain function by up to 80%, enhancing our thought processes; our awareness and our eloquence.
5. Boosts Immunity
Getting sick at work is no fun. Whether you’re committed to coming to the office during your illness, or staying home resting on the couch, illness can seriously reduce our productivity levels. Its therefore crucial we stay hydrated in order to keep our immune systems in full working order and fight off any infections we may come into contact with.
If an illness should happen to get the better of you, drinking plenty of fluids will massively increase your recovery rate and aid your return to work faster.
6. Improves Mood
When we are dehydrated we can often feel grumpy, moody, sluggish and/or negative about obstacles we have to face in our day. Staying hydrated has so many benefits both for the body and mind. It keeps both running smoothly, whilst regulating the amount of fluids in our bodies and balancing our body temperature. It also helps carry important nutrients to all the right places.
When the body feels good, we feel good, and this positivity will only rub off on those working around you.
So what are you waiting for? Try a new watercooler or water fountain in your workplace today, and see the difference it makes.