A commonly overlooked aspect of employee health is hydration. While it might not sound as important as nutrition and exercise, staying well hydrated is critical to overall health and wellbeing. And unfortunately, research suggests that 75% of Americans may suffer from chronic dehydration.
This means that many of your employees likely aren’t drinking as much water as they should – and your team can’t perform their best when they’re dehydrated. In fact, just a 2% loss of water levels in the body can lead to a decrease in mental and physical performance. This loss of water can negatively affect memory, energy levels, and other essential cognitive functions.
Not only is dehydration a danger to productivity and work performance, but it’s also a danger to your employees’ health. Dehydration can result in headaches, dizziness, irritability, and much more. That’s why it’s important for employers to encourage employees to drink more water at work. And what better way to do so than with a new wellness challenge?!
We created the Water You Waiting For? Challenge to make staying hydrated a bit easier for your employees. When you download your free toolkit of the campaign, you’ll receive:
- Administrator's guide
- Printable marketing materials to maximize engagement
- Six weeks of tips & fast facts
- Certificate of achievement, tracker, and more!
This challenge is perfect for the hot summer months and will help your employees make a habit out of drinking more water throughout the day. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll find inside:
Benefits of Drinking More Water
Drinking more water is essential to your health. After all, your body is made up of about 60% water. Water helps your body and brain function better in a variety of ways. Some of the awesome health benefits of water include:
- Improved heart health
- Weight management
- Better digestive and gut health
- Balanced fluids
- Better brainpower
- More energy
- Less headaches
- Glowing skin
- Healthy kidneys
What Happens to Your Body When You’re Dehydrated?
Dehydration is more serious than you might think. Severe cases of dehydration require medical treatment, and in some cases, dehydration can be life-threatening. It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of dehydration so that you can treat it before it becomes dangerous. According to Mayo Clinic, some common symptoms of dehydration include:
- Extreme thirst
- Less frequent urination
- Dark-colored urine
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
Here’s a quick look at some of the effects of dehydration:
- Headaches
- Low blood pressure
- Bad breath
- Dizziness/fainting
- Muscle cramps
- Chapped lips
The good news is that drinking more water can easily reverse most of these symptoms!
Tips for Drinking More Water (Even When You’re at Work!)
We know that drinking eight cups of water can be a bit challenging while you’re at work. It can be difficult to remember to reach for water regularly when you’re dealing with a heavy workload. Below are a few simple ways to help you drink more water throughout the day – even when you’re busy at work!
- Buy a fun water bottle
- Have a full glass of water with every meal
- Add flavor to your water (we love adding sliced fruit!)
- Sip on water while you wait for your coffee to brew
- Invest in a water filter
- Get sipping over your breaks
- Eat water-rich foods
What Happens to Your Body When You Quit Soda and Focus on Water?
According to a Gallup poll, 48% of surveyed Americans drink soda on a daily basis. Soda is filled with added sugars and calories – while providing no nutritional value. Replacing your daily soda with a glass of water will help keep you hydrated and improve your overall health. Below are some health perks that will happen to your body when you ditch the soda and focus on water instead:
- Healthier heart
- More energy
- Healthier teeth
- Weight loss
- Healthier kidneys
- Lower risk of chronic disease (obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, etc.)
How to Make the Water Habit Stick
It’s important to make sure your water habit sticks for the long-term. After you’ve finished the challenge, it can be a bit tricky to stay motivated. You can keep up with your water drinking habits after the challenge ends with these simple tricks:
- Track it
- Use an app
- Create a water consumption schedule
- Make it convenient to drink water
- Post reminders
- Reward yourself for a job well done
The Water You Waiting For? Challenge campaign toolkit also includes some promotional materials and a water log to help encourage employee participation and get employees excited about the challenge. Download your free copy of the toolkit here and help your employees stay hydrated and healthy this summer!
Are you going to try this wellness challenge at your office? Let us know in the comment section below!
Image created by Freepic.diller - Freepik.com
