Hydration and Exercise Benefits

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused physical illness but has also caused mental health concerns as well. During the pandemic, individuals experienced isolation, anxiety, feeling uneasy, depression, loss of loved ones, financial hardships and so much more. Even with the United States opening businesses back up for the most part, we are seeing mental health concerns remaining. The combination of the physical and mental toll of the pandemic is causing lingering effects, which makes it harder to resume “normal” life. Here at Jackson College, the Health Clinic is available to support your physical and mental needs. Some things that help to support mental health is drinking plenty of  water, getting adequate amounts of sleep and exercising regularly.

Hydration Benefits

“To function properly, all the cells and organs in your body need water!” (McIntosh, 2018) Here are some reasons on how important water is to your body:

 

•	Water lubricates your joints - long-term dehydration can cause reduction in the joint’s shock-absorbing ability, which will lead to joint pain.

 

•	Water forms saliva and mucus - saliva helps us digest food and keeps the mouth, nose and eyes moist. Also, drinking water instead of sweetened drinks helps to keep your mouth clean and reduce tooth decay.

 

•	Water delivers oxygen throughout your body - blood is made up of 90% water and carries oxygen to different parts of the body. The more hydrated you are, the better it is for your blood to do its job.

 

•	Water is good for your skin - when your skin is dehydrated it becomes more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.

 

•	Water cushions the brain, spinal cord and other tissues in the body - dehydration can affect brain structure and function. Prolonged dehydration can cause problems with thinking and reasoning.

 

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Water regulates body temperature - your body needs water in order to sweat. As you sweat, the water evaporates off of your skin and cools your body. When you don’t have enough water in your body, your heat storage increases, making you less tolerable to heat stress (such as exercise) Also, sweating is one way that helps to flush your body of waste.

 

•	Water is important for digestion - Your bowel needs water to function properly. Dehydration can cause constipation and an overly acidic stomach, which can cause heartburn and ulcers.

 

•	Water helps blood pressure - dehydration can cause your blood to become thicker, which can cause blood pressure increase.

 

•	Water is important for your lungs - when you are dehydrated, your airways are restricted by the body to help minimize more water loss, which can cause asthma and allergies to be worse.

 

•	Water is important for nutrient absorption - minerals and nutrients dissolve in water, which is what makes them possible to reach different parts of the body.

 

•	Water is important for kidney health - the kidneys regulate fluid in the body; dehydration can cause kidney stones and other kidney problems.

 

•	Water boosts exercise performance - dehydration reduces exercises performance, especially in activities longer than 30 minutes (McIntosh, 2018).

 

Exercise Benefits

Exercise is so important for your body and your mental health.

 

•	Exercise can boost your mood, improve your sleep and help you deal with depression, anxiety and stress (Robinson, L., Segal, J. & Smith, M. (2021). Research shows that even small amounts of exercise can make a positive difference on your mental health, no matter your age or fitness level.

 

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Exercise has been proven to be just as effective in treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressant medication. This is because exercise promotes all kinds of changes in your brain, such as, neural growth, reduced inflammation and helps with creating new activity patterns that promote calmness and well-being.

 

•	Exercise also releases endorphins which help make you feel energetic and happy.

 

•	Exercise can also serve as a healthy distraction, which allows you to break out of a negative cycle.

 

•	Exercise can help to ease anxiety by interrupting the flow of constant worries if the focus is put on breathing patterns and movement instead of intrusive thoughts.

 

•	Exercise helps to reduce stress because it helps to relax your muscle tension, and the endorphins released help to relax your mind. Your body and mind are closely related, so when your body feels good, your mind will feel good too.

Resources

Exercising has many benefits, aside from mental health improvements. Some other benefits of exercising are as follows:

 

•	Sharper memory and thinking
•	Higher self-esteem
•	Better sleep
•	More energy
•	Stronger resilience

 

If you are struggling to find time to fit exercise into your daily routine, start with just 5-10 minute sessions and slowly increase your time. The more you exercise, the more energy you will have and the better you’ll feel. It will help to make it more of a routine and you will start to experience the benefits. During cold months, YouTube is a great source for doing workouts at home if you do not want to get out in the cold. There are also a lot of free apps available to download on your phone or tablet that have exercise routines to follow along with (Robinson, L., Segal, J. & Smith, M. (2021).