Is your back pain caused by dehydration? Page 2
How much water should you drink?
It is often said to drink about 8 cups a day. However, this may not be true because drinking levels usually depend on the different needs of each individual. For example, an athlete will need to drink lots more water than someone who is not an athlete. The athlete loses more water while exercising so will have lots more to replenish. Another example is that two individuals of the same lifestyle but with different weights will also need a different amounts of drinking water. The heavier individual will need more water to stay hydrated. So, to make it more simple drink one cup for every 20 pounds of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person who does not exercise or work in hot climates needs 7.5 cups of pure water. Drinking soda, tea, and coffee do not count even though they have water in it! These drinks are filled with artificial sweeteners and caffeine that will dehydrate you. Try to limit the number of beverages you drink other than water. Treat them as a dessert and not something you drink on a regular basis.
- Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst
- Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration
- Drink one cup for every 20 pounds of body weight
- If you exercise or work in hot climates you will need to drink extra amounts of water
- Keep an eye on urine, yellow or amber color means you need to drink more
After a strenuous workout, you have to replace the fluids you have lost. Otherwise, you will suffer chronic dehydration. Water reduces body temperature which is beneficial for those working in hot climates. Water will replenish the fluids your body has lost and help cool your body down.
Drinking more water is a simple preventative measure to protect against developing back pain and can even help reduce existing back pain. Simply stretching your spine forward and back periodically throughout the day will help to rehydrate your disks, provided that you have given your body enough water to work with. So don’t be a pain in the back and drink up today!
