“If you’ve noticed more joint pain and stiffness as you’ve gotten older, you may be overlooking a critical cause that most people don’t realize can affect joint health: hydration (or lack thereof).”  Dr. Williams
By Celeste McLaughlin, BA, CEOE, CDMS, CPDM

Simple water may be the answer to joint pain
Your body is composed of approximately 55%-60% of water. Water is a building material in every cell. It helps regulate our body temperature, transports carbs and proteins in the bloodstream, flushes out waste products through urination, is a shock absorber for the brain and spinal cord, lubricates your joints, the list goes on.

Drink up
Drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day is recommended. For example, if you weight 150 lbs., you should drink 75 oz. of water every day. If it’s hot, or you are exercising you should up your water intake. When drinking something dehydrating such as a caffeinated drink or a glass of alcohol, it is recommended to drink 1.5 oz. of water for every oz. of caffeinated drink or alcohol you’ve consumed.

Signs of Dehydration:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Dark under eye circles
• Dry mouth
• Dry skin
• Constipation
• Dizziness
• Irritability and confusion
• Dark colored urine
• Heat exhaustion
• Kidney stones
• Rapid heart beat
• Shriveled dry skin which lacks elasticity

Water is our friend. Drink up!
Give it a try and you’ll be amazed at the results! For more tips from our ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest, subscribe to our blog or contact our experts today!