Water Intake

The phrase “drink 8-10 glasses of water a day” is what we hear from many as a guideline as to how much water you should consume every day. It’s a statement that leaves many questions – like how big is the glass and is that 8-10 for everyone, regardless of their size? This rule doesn’t work for everyone because the bigger you are, the more body and blood that you have and therefore the more water you need to drink.

You’ll also need to drink more if you live in warmer temperatures or if you are someone who is physically active.

A general rule of thumb is to try to drink at least half an ounce of water for every pound that you weigh. For example, if you’re 160lbs you should drink at least 80oz or about 3L of water. A great thing about this life liquid though, is that you don’t need to worry about drinking too much – you can’t! Your body will get rid of any liquid that it doesn’t need.

Water is so important in helping your body recover and heal, and we cannot stress enough the importance of drinking water after a massage therapy treatment! Doing so will help reduce swelling and soreness of your muscles and help you move more fluidly the next day. Massage therapy uses long, targeted hand strokes to increase circulation and work out fluid that has been hanging out in your stiff muscles. This has a dehydrating effect on the body. It is important to drink it after a massage! to help flush out your system and rehydrate your body.

If your body is dehydrated going into the massage, your RMT will probably be able to tell because the muscles do not move as fluently as they do when they are fully hydrated. Muscles are made up of 70% water, you know! Also, when you are hydrated your blood is thinner and this makes it easier for your body to transport the vitamins and minerals to the places it needs. 

Here are a few tips to help you keep you hydrated:

1. Keep a glass or bottle of water around you all the time. If you can see it, you’ll be 

2. If you don’t like ‘plain’ water, add some of your favourite sliced fruits or vegetables to it to make it taste delicious.

3. Have a glass of water before (and after) every meal. This can also help you from overeating because people often mistake hunger for your body wanting water.

4. Set an alarm or make little goals for yourself to remind you and keep you easily reminded to drink it. It’s a great reason to get motivated every day. 

If you give your body the things that it needs to succeed, imagine the possibility of the things that you can do! Water helps to power your muscles, your brain, and keeps your skin looking good. Drinking more of it could be one of the easiest changes you make in your life to help live a better life, why would you not drink more water?