5 Reasons to Stay Hydrated
We’re sure you’ve all heard how important it is to stay hydrated. The advice seems to be everywhere lately, with magazines and celebrities urging us to chug down litres of the good stuff for clear skin and weight loss. But for dancers, it’s about so much more than getting that glow – water is essential for keeping our bodies healthy and prepared for all situations. We’ve compiled a list of the most important reasons why dancers need to buckle up and drink more water.
1.Reduce fatigue
Think about it: when you’re dancing, you don’t want to be short on energy. High-intensity choreography and long hours in the studio means that you have to be able to keep up your energy levels for a long time. Switch your coffee for water to avoid crashing later in the day, and take regular gulps to banish tiredness and keep your body on track. Celebrities swear by chugging a litre of water as soon as they get out of bed to wake them up and prepare them for the day, so why not give it a go?
2. Help your muscles to recover
Water makes up 75% of our muscle tissue, so does it come as a surprise that dehydration can make muscle soreness even more painful? Our bodies need water to flush out toxins which may impede recovery. Dehydration may even cause the muscle tissue to start breaking down, which makes your muscles weaker and more difficult for protein to repair muscle damage. If you’re experiencing a lot of aching after exercise, it may be down to dehydration, so fill up that water bottle and start drinking!
3. Lower your maximum heart rate
As you exercise, you lose fluids.The less water you have in your body, the less blood volume you’ll have, resulting in less blood being pumped around your body per beat. This means that your heart has to work a little harder and beat a little faster. It’s important to keep a regular blood volume, as having low blood volume can cause a lot of complications – some of them serious. So when you’re losing fluids through sweat, make sure you’re keeping on top of them so that you’re not overworking your heart.
4. Regulate your body temperature
When your body gets too hot (as often happens when we’re jumping and jiving!), it sweats to try and cool itself down. Of course, we have to have some fluids in our body initially so that they can come back out and regulate our temperature! You can even lose as much as a litre per hour if you’re doing high intensity exercise, and that’s a lot of water to lose.
5. Shock absorption for your joints
Having a good layer of water surrounding the muscle tissue and organs does wonders for shock absorption. Maintain a good, protective layer of water around your vitals to cushion your joints and prevent injury. Plus, when your joints are properly lubricated, you can keep your movements fluid for better performance.
We recommend keeping a reusable water bottle on hand at all times as a reminder to keep drinking. Refill as often as you can, and simply wash at the end of the day for an easy, sturdy alternative to standard plastic bottles which are harmful to the environment. This one is super easy to sip from on the go, with a super secure flip cap to prevent spillages.
3. Lower your maximum heart rate
As you exercise, you lose fluids.The less water you have in your body, the less blood volume you’ll have, resulting in less blood being pumped around your body per beat. This means that your heart has to work a little harder and beat a little faster. It’s important to keep a regular blood volume, as having low blood volume can cause a lot of complications – some of them serious. So when you’re losing fluids through sweat, make sure you’re keeping on top of them so that you’re not overworking your heart.
4. Regulate your body temperature
When your body gets too hot (as often happens when we’re jumping and jiving!), it sweats to try and cool itself down. Of course, we have to have some fluids in our body initially so that they can come back out and regulate our temperature! You can even lose as much as a litre per hour if you’re doing high intensity exercise, and that’s a lot of water to lose.
5. Shock absorption for your joints
Having a good layer of water surrounding the muscle tissue and organs does wonders for shock absorption. Maintain a good, protective layer of water around your vitals to cushion your joints and prevent injury. Plus, when your joints are properly lubricated, you can keep your movements fluid for better performance.
We recommend keeping a reusable water bottle on hand at all times as a reminder to keep drinking. Refill as often as you can, and simply wash at the end of the day for an easy, sturdy alternative to standard plastic bottles which are harmful to the environment. This one is super easy to sip from on the go, with a super secure flip cap to prevent spillages.