Bringing you answers to questions that have been submitted to our inbox, as well as other interesting Physical Therapy or Healthcare Trivia.
1) I Don’t Like to Drink Water, But I Understand it is Important, so How Much Must I Consume on a Daily Basis?
Consistent water intake is not only important, it is vital. An average person can not survive more than three days in the absence of water. Water constitutes 60-75% of an adult’s body composition, and it is the catalyst for a lot of essential life functions.
- When it is warm out, our body regulates temperature through sweating.
- It decreases blood viscosity, or thickness in order to keep adequate blood flow, and therefore, allows for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the entire body.
- Allows the body to eliminate wastes, or flush the system of the toxic substances that build up in the cells.
- It allows for lubrication of joints. This helps promote mobility, and is extra important for people that have Osteo Arthritis as lubrication can help reduce arthritic joint pain.
Approximate adequate daily intakes of fluids in cups per day include:
- infants 0–6 months – 3 cups
- infants 7–12 months – 4 cups
- children 1–3 years – 4 cups
- children 4–8 years – 5 cups
- girls 9–13 years – 6 cups
- boys 9–13 years – 7 cups
- girls 14–18 years – 7 cups
- boys 14–18 years – 8 cups
- women 8 cups
- men 10 cups
2) What Can I Do to Increase My Water Intake?
An average adult loses 1.5-3 liters of water per day, and this needs to be replaced for optimal health and body function. This does not mean that it needs to be replaced through drinking water exclusively. Almost every bite of food that you take has some water in it, therefore, water intake can be augmented through the consumption of foods with high water content.
Examples of foods with high water contents
- Cucumbers 96.7%
- Iceberg Lettuce 95.6%
- Celery 95.4%
- Tomatos 94.5%
- Watermelon 91.5%
- Strawberries 91%
- Broccoli 90.7%
- Grapefruit 90.5%
3) Any Tips for Increasing Water Intake?
- Add taste – Squeeze a lemon, lime, or orange in plain water to give it some taste
- Add ice cubes made from fresh fruit
- Keep it handy – If it is inconvenient, we tend not to do it, so keep a bottle handy and watch your water intake increase
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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