This Children's Mental Health Week, we're looking at how drinking lots of water throughout the day can work wonders for keeping our minds and bodies healthy.
Did you know that over half of your body is made up of water? Keeping hydration levels topped up is great for the mental wellbeing of kids, (and it works for grown-ups too).
To stay properly hydrated you should drink about 6 glasses of water every day, and about 8 glasses if it's a hot day or you are exercising.
Brighten your day
Drinking plenty of water can is a great way to help improve how you feel and brighten your day. Starting the day by drinking a big glass of fresh hot or cold water will help to put a spring in your step! If you don’t drink enough water, your body can become dehydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches and can generally make you feel down, so a glass of water can help you to feel much better.
Let's look at other ways that drinking water can help us...
Lift your energy levels
We’ve looked at how drinking water can help to lift your mood, but it can also help to improve your physical energy levels. Drinking water before, during and after exercise will help to reduce that feeling of tiredness and give you that extra boost of energy you need to stay active for longer. This is because our bodies lose fluid when we sweat, so it’s really important to drink plenty of water when exercising to replace that lost fluid.
Boost your brain power
Scientists believe that drinking just 1 glass of water can help to improve your concentration. Staying hydrated can help us to stay focused for longer and help to improve our memory.
Flush out bad bacteria
Drinking lots of water helps your kidneys to flush out bad bacteria, helping to keep your body healthy.
Did you know these facts about the water in your body?
- Your brain and heart are composed of 73% water
- Your lungs are about 83% water
- Your skin contains 64% water
- Your muscles and kidneys are 79% water
- Your bones are 31% water
Here are some tips to help you drink more water throughout the day
- Give you water some flavour by adding in fruit or herbs. Try slices of cucumber of mint leaves.
- Drink a glass after every bathroom break. Keep the healthy cycle going and stay hydrated!
- Sip some water before every meal. We eat regularly so let’s drink water regularly too.
- Add ice cubes to keep your water cold for longer.
- Keep a jug of fresh water in the fridge and top it up throughout the day
- You might prefer drinking hot water instead of cold. Ask an adult to help you with boiling some fresh water and then add some cold water from the tap to bring the temperature down so it’s not too hot to drink.
- Eat foods that contain water. Did you know that cucumber, watermelon and grapefruit are all over 90% water?
- Get some reusable straws. Straws will help you drink more and drink faster.
- Get a reusable water bottle – and keep it nearby. Make sipping water regular habit and refill when you’re running low.
You can visit the Children's Mental Health Week for more free advice and support.
