14 benefits of drinking water

To function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water. Here are some reasons our body needs water:

1. It lubricates the joints: Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.

2. It forms saliva and mucus: Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps the mouth clean. Consumed instead of sweetened beverages, it can also reduce tooth decay.

3. It delivers oxygen throughout the body: Blood is more than 90 percent water, and blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body.

4. It boosts skin health and beauty: With dehydration, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature wrinkling.

5. It cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues: Dehydration can affect brain structure and function. It is also involved in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning.

6. It regulates body temperature: Water that is stored in the middle layers of the skin comes to the skin’s surface as sweat when the body heats up. As it evaporates, it cools the body. Having a lot of water in the body may reduce physical strain if heat stress occurs during exercise. However, more research is needed into these effects.

7. The digestive system depends on it: The bowel needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and an overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers.

8. It flushes body waste: Water is needed in the processes of sweating and removal of urine and faeces.

9. It helps maintain blood pressure: A lack of water can cause blood to become thicker, increasing blood pressure.

10. The airways need it: When dehydrated, airways are restricted by the body in an effort to minimize water loss. This can make asthma and allergies worse.

11. It makes minerals and nutrients accessible: These dissolve in water, which makes it possible for them to reach different parts of the body.

12. It prevents kidney damage: The kidneys regulate fluid in the body. Insufficient water can lead to kidney stones and other problems.

13. It boosts performance during exercise: Some scientists have proposed that consuming more water might enhance performance during strenuous activity. More research is needed to confirm this, but one review found that dehydration reduces performance in activities lasting longer than 30 minutes.

14. Weight loss: Water may also help with weight loss, if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. “Preloading” with water before meals can help prevent overeating by creating a sense of fullness.

Adapted from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290814#benefits

Walking benefits for elderly people

Walking has so many benefits for elderly people. It can improve your health and

wellbeing in many ways, and it can help one to live independently for longer.

Walking can:

• Strengthen muscles.

• Help keep weight steady.

• Lower risk of heart disease, stroke, colon cancer and diabetes.

• Strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (regular walking could halve the number of people over 45 who fracture their hip).

• Help reduce blood pressure in some people with hypertension.

• Improve balance and coordination and decrease your likelihood of falling.

• Keep joints flexible.

• Increase confidence and mood, and help feel better all round.

• Improve energy levels and increase stamina.

• Reduce anxiety or depression.

• Improve social life – walking is a great way to get out and meet people or socialise with friends.

Being able to walk without help is one of the strongest indicators of whether someone can live independently. Older people who exercise regularly are more likely to walk without assistance and do things for themselves around the house.

Exercise doesn’t need to be strenuous to be beneficial for your health. In fact, an elderly person aged over 65 should do 30 minutes of moderate activity each day.

One can choose to walk at a steady pace for longer periods, or in shorter, quicker bursts, or up and down stairs.

Before you start walking for exercise Almost every older person can do some form of exercise. But before one begin, talk to the general physician about the level of exercise that’s right. This is especially important if one has not exercised for a while.

If one has any condition or health problems, even if it doesn’t seem significant, it’s important to consult doctor for guidance. They can help choose suitable activities to match an individual’s health and fitness needs.

Some questions one may want to ask the doctor include:

• Are there any exercises I should avoid?

• Could any illness, operation or injury I’ve had affect how I exercise?

• How can I exercise safely if I have high blood pressure, diabetes or

• cardiovascular disease?

• How can I increase my exercise gradually?

• How can I manage any ongoing health conditions I have (such as arthritis)?

• If doctor has concerns about a particular exercise, ask about the concerns and

• whether there are any alternative activities. If one develops any new symptom

• after starting to get active, see doctor straight away. New symptoms could

• include:

• Dizziness

• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

• Unplanned weight loss

• Sores that won’t heal

• Pains anywhere in your body

• Discontinue exercising until one has seen your doctor and worked out what is causing your symptoms.

What you will need for walking

For starters, make sure one wears correct shoes for walking. Comfortable sneakers work well for most people. If those are new shoes, try them on first to make sure they fit well and are comfortable.

If one uses a cane or a walker, don’t let that stop you either. These can improve one’s balance and help lighten the load on joints to make it easier when the individual is out and about.

If one would like support but don’t have a cane or a walker, talk to physiotherapist for help. Remember, all walking aids need adjustment, and should be properly maintained.

Walking with a friend

Walking with a friend or loved one has many benefits:

• It makes exercise more fun.

• It helps you make new friends, and build up friendships you already have.

• It is harder to cancel a walk when you know you have a friend waiting for

• you.

• You’ll probably walk further and meet more often with a friend.

• Walking with a friend is safer.

Adapted from:

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Walking-the-benefits-

for-older-people

8 benefits of bathing in warm water

People have been soaking in hot springs and other bodies of warm water for centuries just because it feels good but only recently has research begun uncovering a number of legitimate health benefits of doing so. The benefits of hot baths are mostly attributed to thermotherapy, sometimes referred to as passive heating, which temporarily raises core body temperature and may positively affect cardiovascular health, glycemic control and chronic low-grade inflammation, according to a mini review published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

"It is so easy and restful, yet physiologically it conveys a number of the same benefits of going for a run," says Christine Patterson, D.N.P., a functional medicine nurse practitioner and owner of Vital Journey Wellness. "When my patients are tired or depressed and have low motivation to exercise, hot baths are a way to get some of the benefits without the exertion." Regular physical activity is still an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but a hot bath might be a beneficial addition to your routine when your body needs to rest.

A few things to keep in mind: Most scientific studies highlight water temperatures in a range of 38 to 40°C as therapeutic. Anything much warmer can be risky for the elderly, pregnant women, children and anyone with a pre-existing medical condition, so be sure to consult your primary care physician if you fall into one of those categories.

"Most studies that show physiologic benefits have the participants bathing regularly, sometimes daily, often at least 3 to 4 times per week for around 20 minutes or so each" says Patterson. Showering, she says, has not been shown to confer the same benefits, likely because it fails to raise core body temperature to the same degree.

Bathing regularly can dry skin out, so while you should avoid perfumed bubble baths and products with fragrances and dyes, you may want to consider adding essential oils or Epsom salts. Aside from that, just run some water, lean back and enjoy these surprising benefits of warm baths.

5 Science-Backed Benefits of warm water baths

1. Warm Water Can Soothe Sore Muscles

Post-workout can be a great time to reap the benefits of hot baths because research shows that the warmth can ease aches and pains. According to one study,indulging in some heat therapy after exercising reduced muscle soreness by up to47%. In another small study of 60 middle-aged women with fibromyalgia, spending time in a heated pool three times a week for 16 weeks improved their pain and other symptoms.

2. Steeping in a Hot Bath May Boost Your Brainpower

That same study of middle-aged women with fibromyalgia found another interesting benefit of hot baths: In addition to reducing pain, the warm water also appeared to improve cognitive function, possibly because the heat causes blood vessels to dilate and improves blood flow to the brain. Other research has found that middle-aged men who regularly bathed in a sauna had a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease compared to those who didn't.

3. A Good Soak Could Help Your Heart

Relaxing in a warm tub also relaxes your blood vessels, because the heat causes them to dilate, making it easier for blood to flow through. This temporary decrease in blood pressure is similar to the effects of exercise and may have similar cardiovascular benefits. A 20-year study of more than 30,000 people in Japan—where the benefits of hot baths have been embraced for centuries—found that those who bathed daily (or close to it) were 28% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 26% less likely to have a stroke compared with those who took baths less than twice a week, according to a study published in the journal Heart.

4. Hot Baths Could Help Fight Depression

Interestingly, research has shown that the same pathways in the brain that regulate body temperature are involved in depression. There is some evidence that raising core body temperature—say, by soaking in a warm tub—may cause changes in the brain that increase mood-regulating hormones like serotonin. Some research even indicates that, in this regard, the benefits of hot baths may be greater than those of regular exercise. In a study of 45 people with depression, those who took two 20-minute baths a week (at a temperature of approximately 40°C) had lower ratings on a widely used depression scale compared to those who exercised for 45 to 50 minutes twice a week, according to research published in BMC Psychiatry. Though this is a small study and more research is likely needed to confirm this connection, the findings are still noteworthy.

5. Taking a Hot Bath Before Bed Can Help You Sleep Better

One of the more surprising benefits of hot baths seems to be related to circadian rhythms, which are the biological processes that run according to a 24-hour internal clock and can be influenced by our environment. One of these processes is body temperature.

Normally, we cool off by a few degrees as we prepare to sleep. Counterintuitively, taking a hot bath speeds up this process by drawing all your blood to the surface where it can easily be dispersed. So while you may feel toasty warm in the tub, you're actually cooling your core body temperature after you get out, which signals that it's time to snooze.

An analysis of 13 different studies, published in Sleep Medicine Reviews, backs this up, finding that taking a warm bath or shower before bed led people to sleep longer overall and report better sleep quality. According to some of the data, spending as little as 10 minutes in water around 40°C an hour or two before bed decreased the time it took to doze off by nearly 9 minutes.

Adapted from: By Jill Waldbieser on February 22, 2022 in https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7948315/benefits-of-hot-baths/